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COPYRIGHT DEPOSnV 



The Good 
The Beautiful 
The True 

POEMS 




By 

Chas. G. Brown, B. S., B. S. A. 

Northwestern, '96-Comell, '02 
Editor and Publisher 

The Holstein-Friesian World 

Ithaca, N. Y. 



Published by the Author 



Copyrighted 1909 

By Chas. G. Brown, Ithaca, N. Y. 

All Rights Reserved. 






ft^Ah 2 1809 

I ^i.Aj.$ CL^ AAc, .^ic 



Atkinson & Mitchell. Printers, 
Ithaca, N. Y. 



INSCRIBED 

To those n>ho ma]} find pleasure or profit in 

its perusal. 



Illustrations 

Frontispiece — The Author, C. G. Brown. 

PAGE 

Plymouth, Chenango Co., N. Y. 

The Author's Native Town Op. 27 

Zuna God of Fortune Op. 50 

The Holstein-Friesian Cow, 

Colantha 4th's Johanna, Champion 

of the World Op. 96 

The Holstein-Friesian Cow. 

Jessie Veeman A. (24.5 lbs of 

butter in seven days) Op. 9 7 



Contents 

PAGE 

The Good, the Beautiful the True! . 9 

When the Clouds Roll By 10 

Harbingers 11 

Love for Life's to Us Eternal 12 

Oh. How Grand! 13 

Dakota Prairies 14 

Contemplation 16 

The Prairie Grave 17 

I'll Meet You Where the Daisies 

Grow^ 18 

How Majestic Thy Tides ! 19 

While Yet There Is Time 20 

Cardinals 21 

Sweet Memories 22 

You and 1 23 

To My Father 24 

To Prof. I. P. Roberts. (A Sonnet) 26 

Oh, Carry Me Back to Chenango! . . 11 

Wheeling 28 

The Game of All Games 29 

Gamer Worden 32 

A Double Pun 31 



Mountain Meadow 38 

Let Your Light Shine 39 

Naming the Twins 40 

An Appeal 41 

Just as Thankful as Anybody 42 

Fetich-Theism 43 

Christmas 45 

Metrical TTieology 46 

The Nature Mith — Some Bible Rid- 
dles Explained 48 

Gods on Toast 50 

Milestones. . 51 

Anthropomorphic Gods 'Gciinst Nature 

Cause, 

Or Gods and Superstition Versus Laws 54 

Trilobite 84 

When Your Boil Is just a-Boiling. ... 85 

An Epitaph 86 

Milk that Is Milk 87 

Thou Holstein-Friesian, Hail! (A 

Sonnet) 88 

Aaggie Cornucopia Pauline 89 

Colantha 4th' s Johanna 89 

The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 90 

The Friesian Cow. (A Song) 1 00 

Farm Philosophy 1 02 

A Question 119 

The Crime of Crimes 1 20 

Ernest Haeckel 121 



A Flag with a Stain 1 22 

President, United Mine Workers of 

America 1 24 

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. (A 

Parody) 125 

Thanksgiving 126 

How Might the Rich Expend Their 

Wealth 128 

Politikopsis 1 30 

Post Mortem 1 32 

Evangel of Socialism. (An Acrostic) 1 33 

Fairest Little City 1 34 

The Peace Congress, or The White 

Man's Burden 1 35 

Why I Am an Atheist 143 




The Good, the Beautiful, the True, the Just, 
These are the Liberal deities that must 
Reform the world, regenerate mankind. 
And make the earth a paradise refined. 
Where thought and reason flowers shall blos- 
som free. 
And love and peace, the golden fruitage he. 



The Good, the Beautiftal, the True ! 

The Good, the Beautiful, the True! 

These are the honored ones — 

The sacred three. 
To whom we bend the knee. 

Thou Good! We bend the knee to thee. 

For goodness in, and of 

Itself, is good; 
A Totem not of wood. 

Thou Beautiful! We bend to thee. 

For beauty is its own 

Excuse for being; 
An Idol served by seeing. 

TTiou True! We bend to thee the knee. 

For truth is just and right. 

And right is brave ; 
A Savior that does save. 

The Good, the Beautiful, the True! 

These are the honored ones — 

The only Three, 
To whom we bend the knee. 



When the Clouds Roll By. 

When the clouds roll by! When the cloud* 

roll by! 
When the sun again peeps forth, and we see 

the gladsome sky; 
Then the grass will look the greener, and the 

flowers seem more fair. 
And the birds will sing the sweeter, as they 

breathe the morning air; 
Then the world will be more joyful, and 

we'll cease to mope and sigh, 
For all nature will be smiling, when the 

clouds roll by. 

When the clouds roll by! When the clouds 

roll by! 
When we see the rainbow arching, as it joins 

the earth and sky; 
Then the grief of disappointment, and the 

gloom of dark despair, 
TTiat has hovered o'er our pathway, like a 

pall suspended there. 
Will be lifted as a vapor, and will vanish 

from our sky. 
And we'll bask in sunlit splendor, when the 

clouds roll by. 



10 



Harbingers. 

Dainty v/hite trilium 
Just up from lilydom. 
In fairy dell growing, 
By brooklet clear flowing, 
We meet you, and greet you. 
And rejoice that you grew. 

Exquisite bobolink 

With your wings black as ink. 

In open fields meeting. 

The morning sun greeting. 

When you fly then you fling, 

A gay song on the wmg. 



Like the birds, like the flowers. 
If we fill the short hours 
With Love's fragrance and song. 
As we pass life along. 
No one then can proclaim. 
We have lived life in vain. 



n 



Love for Life's to Us Eternal. 

O my Darling, tears are starting! 

Through love's joy there comes a smarting. 

As I think of final parting: 

When is o'er life's fitful fever. 
When the grave our hearts must sever. 
And we meet no more forever. 

Get thee hence. Foul Thoughts infernal! 
Dull no joy with dreams supernal! 
Love for life's to us eternal. 

Drink we then a flowing measure 

Of red wine from love's full treasure — 

Joy sublime, ecstatic pleasure! 



12 



Oh, How Grand ! 

Flash the lightnings' lurid brightness. 

Blinding in their glare; 
Crash the thunders* detonations. 

Beating down the air! 
Bursts the Universe an instant. 

On the startled sight; 
Vanishes agam as quickly, 

Into deepest night! 
Suddenly is rent the ether. 

As a silken gown; 
Peal on peal now rolls the thunder. 

Mountains tumbling down! 
Oh, how grand these lurid flashes. 

In the inky sky; 
And the thunder rolling, rolling, — 

Rolling far and nigh! 



13 



Dakota Prairies. 

O, where the Dakotas spread wide their 
prairies ! 
And carpet with roses in groundwork of 
green. 
The sun shines as brightly, and birds sing as 
cheery. 
As in the fair dreamland youVe slumbered 
and seen. 
'Tis there that the wind sweeps the fields into 
billows. 
And wavelets of shadow pass over the 
wheat; 
The sky, leaning low, like the bend of the 
willows. 
Caresses the earth as when lovers' lips 
meet. 

'Tis there that the plover, with wings wide 
extended. 
Sinks down in the grass, with its note, clear 
and sweet; 
'Tis there that the bison, in single file wended 
Their way o'er the prairie and made with 
their feet 
The trails that remain as the proof of their 
number. 
And there the jackrabbit, in white and in 
gray, 

14 



Dakota Prairies 

Concealed in the bunch-grass, springs quickly 
from under 
The tuft at your feet, as you pass on your 
way. 

But changed is the scene which the prairie 
discloses 
When all is licked up by the red tongues 
of flames; 
Its beauty has vanished, its grass, and its 
roses. 
And desolate blackness the most that 
remains ; 
And when, in mid-winter, you see the snow 
drifted 
And swept by the wind, in the light of the 
moon, 
You think of the desert, and sand that is 
sifted. 
And sometimes comes down in the deadly 
typhoon. 

But when the returning sun warms up the 
prairies. 
The grasses and roses once more greet 
the eye. 
And what was so desolate, what was so 
dreary. 
Again speaks of gladness and smiles at 
the sky. 
When life has been darkened and hopes have 
been shattered 

15 



Contemplation 

By fortune or fate, which may come to 

us all, 
TTie cheer and the warmth of a sunny heart, 

scattered. 
May dissipate sorrow, and hap*ness recall. 



Contemplation. 

How mysterious, this round. 

This vast earth, profound. 

As it swings, as it wings. 

In its flight, through the night. 

In the cumulous folds of its shroud! 

How resistless its force 

As it swings in its course; 

Leaving never a wake 

In the fathomless lake 

Of its infinite, ether-blue cloud! 

How mysterious again. 

The gray matter of brain, 

That yet holds, in its folds 

This same world, ever whirled 

In its infinite ether of blue! 

How unbounded its sweep 

O'er the limitless deep; 

How stupendous the climb 

To the moral sublime, — 

To the Beautiful, Good, and the True! 

16 



The Prairie Grave. 

VictOT Leland, son of Charles G. and Ida A. Brown, was laid to 
rest in the little cemetery at Ipswich, S. D., May 18, 1888, 

We laid him where 

The prairies fair 
Meet with the distant blue; 

And o'er his grave 

The grasses wave 
And shed their tears of dew. 

Wild roses bloom 

About his tomb. 
And plovers plaintive call; 

And in the spring. 

The blackbirds sing 
The sweetest notes of all. 

The winter's blasts. 

That o'er him pass 
And sweep the drifting snow^ 

Cause him no sting 

Or suffering, 
That sleeps the sod below. 

No thunder crash. 

Or lightning flash. 
That sets the sky aglow. 

Disturbs his sleep. 

So calm and sweet. 
Nor ever can, we know. 

17 



I'll Meet You Where The T>aisies Grow 

Affection clings. 

And mem'ry brings 
Before our vision clear. 

The little grave. 

Where grasses wave 
In the summer of the year. 

And when we near 

Life's end, my dear. 
And hear the surges low, 

What e'er, of all. 

To us befall. 
Where Victor's gone, we'll go. 



I'll Meet You Where The Daisies Grow. 

Though chance should lead me far from 
home. 
I'll meet you once again; 
Where'er I am, where'er I go. 
I'll meet you where the daisies grow. 

Tliere is no parting here for aye, 

I'll meet you once again; 
As rivers run and zephyrs blow. 
I'll meet you where the daisies grow. 

Kind Nature has decreed that I 
Shall meet you once again; 
Dear wife and children — yes, and foe — 
I'll meet you where the deiisies grow. 

18 



How Majestic Thy Tides ! 

How majestic thy tides, O Ocean old, 
That back from our shores for ages have 

rolled! 
How grand are thy waves that the winds in 

fierce moods 
Have heaped mountian-high in turbulent 

floods ! 
What mighty pulsations have throbbed in thy 

breast ! 
What frightful upheavals have broken thy 

rest! 
What secrets are hid in thy submarine hold. 
That time though eternal may never unfold! 

But the sphere of man*s brain is an ocean 
more wide. 

With storms of fierce passion, with ebb and 
flood tide; 

With billows of anger that surge in the blood! 

With waves of desire that roll like a flood! — 

The depths of thy waters, the thoughts they 
conceal, 

Ceui never be fathomed, time will not re- 
veal. — 

Whirlpool of ambition. Ground-swell of 
control. 

Thy waves of hot impulse forever will roll! 



19 



WhUe Yet There Is Time. 

" Whatsotver thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for 
there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, 
whither thou goest." — Eccleriastes, ix-IO. 

While the rivers yet are flowing. 

And the breezes still are blowing; 
While the birds for us are singing. 
And the flowers to us are bringing 

Odors sweet, and tints of beauty. 

We should do our moral duty; 
Free our minds from superstition. 
Bring them into full fruition. 

While the world is still before us. 

And the sky is bending o'er us; 
While the sun for us is shining. 
And its rays are fast declining; 

Why are we not something doing? 

Why not, something, be pursuing. 
That will leave mankind our debtor. 
And this world for us the better? 

While the glow is on the mountain. 
And the spray falls from the fountain; 
While the trees are in their fruitage. 
And the earth is still man's true stage; 
Why not sonow keep beguiling. 
By our laughter and our smiling? 
Why not leaven man with leaven. 
That shall make the earth a heaven? 
20 



Cardinals 

When the autumn leaves are faUing. 

And to us the Fates are calling; 
When our beating hearts are sinking. 
And we're thinking, thinking, thinking; 

While we yet are 'mong the living.^ 

We should still our thought be giving. 
How, to those who live tomorrow. 
We may leave more joy than sorrow. 



Cardinals. 

That Truth is true. 

Though old or new. 
The world of thought declares; — 

From whence decends. 

Or whither trends, — 
Whate'er the garb it wears. 

Concentrate Might 

Ne'er can make right. 
Though the whole world it gains; 

Nor can the strong 

Make Right of Wrong, 
Though strength be strength of brains. 

And to be just. 

We simply must. 
The Right and True maintain; 

And while we live. 

Fair measure give. 
And from known Wrong refrain. 

21 



Sweet Memories 

Goodness, you see. 
Consists of three, 
The Right, the Just, the True; 

And must be wrought 

In deed and thought. 
As trophies we pursue. 

The Beautiful 

Comprises all. 
Truth, Goodness, Justice, Right; 

And dark the mind 

That does not find 
This source of moral light. 



Sweet Memories.* 

TTie old days have vanished 
With the passing of the years; 

Their joy and their sadness. 
Their hopes and their fears. 

But the chatter of the squirrel. 

And the hum of the bee. 
Come back with enchanting. 

Sweet memories to me. 



' Sweet Memorie$** and "You and I " were written by J« 
brother of the publuher 6i this volume. 

22 



You and I.* 

We have journeyed life to-gether. 

You and I; 
We have met with stormy weather. 

You and I; 
We have seen our hopes departing. 
Felt the throbbing life-blood starting. 
Sought in vain to ease the smarting. 

You and I. 

We have dreamed that skies w^ere brighter. 

You and I; 
And our hearts have beat the lighter. 

You and I; 
Woke to find the storm around us. 
Could not break the chains that bound us. 
Could not shun the Fates that ground us. 

You and I. 

We have lived in like conditions. 

You and I; 
We revere the same traditions. 

You and I; 
And we hate false institutions. 
Hate religious superstitions. 
Hate hypocricy*s pretensions. 

You and I. 

We have often felt deep sadness. 
You and I; 

23 



To My Father 

When we*ve failed to impart gladness. 

You and I; 
And we feel our hearts are keeping. 
Time to other's joy and weeping, 
As the shadows on are creeping. 

You and I. 

Yes, we love to study Nature, 

You and I; 
Trace her laws in every creature. 

You and I; 
Thus, "forbidden fruit" we gather; 
Life's reward for all endeavor. 
As we journey onward ever. 

You and I. 



To My Father 

On His Seventy-fifth Birthday. 

Now, Dear Father, I am thinking 

How you've labored and you've striven. 
And as thought with thought I'm linking. 

Of the love to us you've given, 
I would write some lines to lighten. 

Now your loneliness and sorrow. 
And, perchance, your pathway brighten. 

As you journey to the morrow. 

I would ask to be forgiven. 

If in thought or deed transgressing. 
To your heart I've sorrow driven. 

And I fain would have your blessing; 

24 



To My Father 

As you go the way of mortals. 

Having emptied life's full quiver, — 

And you near the unknown portals. 
May your peace be as the river. 

Have no fear for those you're leaving 

Where the winds of life are blowing; 
They must needs for you be grieving 

Till they go where you are going. 
All our thoughts of future evil. 

Are reflex of horrid nightmare. 
And will suffer like upheaval. 

When they're seen in sun's bright glare. 

Now, while we on earth still linger. 

If, in purpose, we have done right. 
Let him point — Old Time — his finger, 

We will still drink in the sunlight. 
When the sun in West is setting. 

All the clouds glow brightly under; 
May all fears have such a fretting. 

As we sink into our slumber. 




25 



To Professor I. P. Roberts 

On the Occasion of His Seventy-fifth Birthday, 
July 20, 1908. 

Dear Prof. : 

For this your seventy-fifth birthday 

Accept our simple wish, that you are well. 

And that for many years to come, may 

dwell 

In peace and plenty, where the sun's mild 

ray 
Shall shed its warmth, and gentle zephyrs 
play 
No boisterous pranks, but mildly whispering 

tell 
Of Cayuga's waters, and, of fair Cornell, 
Whence shall proceed thy name and fame 

for aye. 
TTiough far away in Palo Alto, Cal., 

We think of thee, and fain would hear thy 

voice. 
And shape our courses by thy smile or 
frown. 
Till such a time as Fickle Fortune shall 
Return thee here, we still must needs rejoice 
To send thee cheer. Yours truly, 

C. G. Brown. 



Oh, Cany Me Back to Chenango ! 

Oh, carry me back to Chenango, 

Where the sunshine and air are free; 
Where the hills slope down to the valleys. 

And the rivers run on to the sea! 
Where the spires of the churches point upward, 

And the rainbow arches the sky; 
Where the oriole builds its nest downward. 

And cloud-banks forever roll by! 

Oh, carry me back to Chenango, 

Where the day ever follows the night; 
Where the seasons succeed one another. 

Where the writer beheld first the light! 
'Tis here they have springtime and harvest. 

And the year, it is twelve months long; 
*Tis here that the shadows flit quickly. 

And the birds break forth into song! 

Oh, carry me back to Chenango, 

The fortunate land of my birth; 
Where the sky bends over the hilltops. 

And the summer-breeze kisses the earth! 
Where the dawn ever tokens the day-break» 

Where blossoms forever unfold; 
Where the sun sinking low at its setting. 

Bums the west into crimson and gold! 

Oh, carry me back to Chenango, 

When the troubles of life are no more; 

27 



Wheeling 

Where the folks are at peace — unless fighting. 

And you hear the surge beat on the 
shore! — 
The shore of that infinite nowhere. 

So near you can almost look o'er. — 
Oh, carry me back to Chenango, 

When done with life's cares — not before! 



Wheeling. 

Oh! what joy to go out riding 

And your lungs with pure air fill! 
Have the fields all past you gliding. 

As the sun peeps o'er the hill! 
Then the blood your cheeks are feeling 

As it courses up and back, — 
With what ease the miles you're reeling. 

As you spin along the track! 

Now your nerves with pleasure tingle. 

As you'r coasting down a grade; 
Now emotions greet and mingle, 

As you rest within the shade. 
Oh! it's jolly sport bicycling. 

Though it makes your ankles crack. 
And the sweat is slowly trickling. 

From your face and down your back. 

Now you'r gliding by green meadows. 
Now you'r skirting 'long a wood, 

28 



The Game of All Games 

And you'r shooting from the shadows 
Into sunHght's golden flood; 

Oh! It's great to go bicycHng, 
In the morning of the day, 

For it sets your nerves a prickling. 
And we like to feel that way. 

Let the churchman go to meeting. 

And the sinner to his mass; 
Let the sluggard keep on sleeping. 

And the croaker go to grass; 
While the bells their notes are pealing. 

We will mount our two wheeled steed. 
And we'll take our gospel, wheeling. 

Straight from Nature sans the creed. 



The Game of All Gaines. 

Of all the games that I have played. 

From fox-and-geese to poker. 
Including pedro and old sledge. 

And euchre with the joker, 
I give pre-eminence to Chess; 

Nor yield one jot or tittle 
To those who prate of **royaI flush," 

Of "Jack-pot," or Jack-kettle. 

It took its rise when time was young. 

And grew by evolution; 
It hobnobbed with old king Sargon, 

Who kept an institution 
29 



The Game of ^11 Games 

About five thousand years ago; 

Through Persian, Arab, Roman, 
It has come down to modern times, — 

A game, where foe meets foeman. 

It has its kings, and also knights. 

And so is truly royal, 
And every piece supports its king. 

Which certainly is loyal; 
The queen's a fighter of renown. 

An Amazon made double; 
Is not the woman always at 

The bottom of all trouble? 

The knights, as light-armed cavalry. 

Charge with a ceaseless clatter; 
The rooks, the artill'ry, compose. 

The serried ranks to shatter; 
The pawns, you see are infantry. 

Main body of the forces; 
Trained well they are invincible. 

Supported by the horses. 

The bishops represent the Church, — 

The established Church — by jingo! 
In tricks and intrigue they excel. 

And say their little lingo 
While moving criss-cross on the board; 

They seek to win by trying 
To lead the foe into a place 

Where they're in ambush lying. 

30 



A Double Pun 

These bishops do precisely as 

AH bishops have been doing 
From immemorial time till now, — 

They keep the conflict brewing; 
And when their adversary's down. 

They give no rest or quarter, 
But start him on his dismal way. 

In a short time or shorter. 

Oh! Chess is mimic war, indeed. 

With charge, and siege, and storming. 
With march, and camp, and counter-march, 

The danger and the warning; 
And when hard pressed, the king retires 

Into his castle tower. 
And sword in hand, makes a last stand 

'Gainst the invading power. 



A Double Pun. 

Now, Ben and Annie, had been united 

By a waggish priest, whose soul delighted 

In making puns. Unto the quearies 

"How did they seem, these married dearies," 

He made reply, it is related, 

"Both Benefitted and Annimated.** 



Gamer Worden. 

Tlie foHowing narrative is based upon an account found in a letter 
written by Gamer Worden (an uncle of the editor), who went to CaK- 
fomia io '49. The text of the letter has been followed very closely. 

'Tis not of Jason, and the "Golden Fleece,** 
The fabled "argo" and the "Dragon's 

teeth," 
I speak, but men as bold, of recent time, — 
The "Argonauts'* of Eighteen Forty-nine. 
Where ocean surges beat Columbia's strand. 
The Golden Gate led to the Golden Sand ; 
But vast plains lay, and snow-capped moun- 
tains stood 
Before this land of Shasta and Mt. Hood, — 
These mountains vast o'erlooked surrounding 

seas, 
Like New World pillars of old Hercules. 

The hero of our tale with ardor burned 

To see this land. On home and friends he 

turned 
His back; sailed tropic seas; crossed Capri- 
corn, 
And saw the southern cross above Cape Horn ; 
Passed safely through Terre del Fuego's strait ; 
Braved stormy seas, and made the Golden 

Gate. 
Then Garner saw Sierras' distant gleam. 
And walked by Sacramento's golden stream: 
He saw the Merced and Yosemite, 

32 



Qamer Worden 

Kept by El Capitan majestically; 

Saw great trees wave, a score of centuries old. 

And tracked the grizzly to his mountain hold. 

But Gamer came in search of gold, and not 
Adventures strange, or prospects grand. His 

lot 
Was cast with men. reckless and unrestrained. 
With passions wild, and natures yet untamed 
Tall bearded men, and men of swarthy face. 
Men steeped in crime, of every tongue and 

race, — 
All came for gold, but some to work the vein. 
And some for robbery emd murder came. 

Our hero was a self-reliant man. 

Hardy and strong he knew no fear; began 

No feuds; was generous to a fault. Brought 

up 
In strict sobriety, eschewed the cup; 
Assailed, as you will see, he could command 
An energy and valor simply grand. 
Nurtured in hardihood, and later drilled 
A soldier; he, though young was not un- 
skilled, — 
Had fought the Seminoles in Florida, 
And was with Taylor down at Monteray. 

Two years had now elapsed since Garner 

came. 
Fired with the hope of sudden wealth to gain. 
He had woiked out a claim at Pass-el-Pine, 

33 



Qarner Warden 

And was with those that found Columbia 

mine; 
Had prospected in regions lone and wild, 
Had laughed at fear, and e'en at danger 

smiled. 

The fall of fifty-one found him in camp 
With a companion of congenial stamp. 
Soon Robert Innis fell with fever ill. 
And Garner cared for him with tender skill; 
But day by day his friend yet weaker grew. 
And though he strove to cheer, still Gamer 

knew 
Unless his friend more nourishment could take. 
He soon would lie beneath the fern and brake. 
One day he started out in hopes he might 
Some quail procure to tempt his appetite. 
Gamer had heard the tales that oft go round. 
Of murdered men in lonely cabins found. 
But as he strode the rugged mountain o'er. 
He little dreamed the fate for him in store. 
The birds were bagged, homeward without 

delay. 
His thoughts upon his friend, he bent his 

way, — 
When, suddenly he met three Mexicans, * 
Seated upon a log. Their looks he scanned. 
Bade them the time of day with friendly 

speech. 
And hurried on his cabin soon to reach. 
At once he set to work to dress his gcime; 

34 



Qarner Warden 

While busied thus, quite unannounced in 

came 
These Mexicans; and one advancing said, 
"Provisions running low*' they had been led 
By stern necessity to ask for food. 
Garner had venison, and said he would 
Prepare them some. While thus engaged a 

call 
From Robert Innis, who was watching all — 
A call, though faint, yet sprung from ins! ant 

fear. 
Burst full of warning on our Garner's ear; 
But quick as tigers on their victims spring. 
Quick as the scorpion strikes his poisonous 

sting. 
Upon our hero's back one bandit made 
A leap, and drew his glittering, murderous 

blade. 
With instinct that will hazard all for life. 
With naked hand our Garner seized the knife. 
The bandit tugged to draw it from his grip, 
But Garner clung, and let his warm blood 

drip. 
While thus was being waged this desperate 

strife, 
A second bandit charged with brandished 

knife. 
He stood in front, and sought with murderous 

art. 
To plunge the blade into his victim's heart. 
Still Garner strove with feet and one free arm. 
To ward the blows, but never without harm. 
35 



Garner Worden 

Our hero would not yield, for in their eyes. 
Was nought but murder, and that undisguised. 
So plucking all his strength and courage he 
Decided to "die game** or else get free. 
How long this grim and ghastly fight for life 
Was waged he could not say, but in the strife 
They found themselves before the open door. 
The bandit gathered all his force, before 
He made a final thrust. His lunge but lent 
Its force to Garner*s kick, which fairly sent 
The ruffian to the cabin's end — and more — 
It forced the one behind out through the door. 
And to the ground. Then being free, he drew 
The blade he held across his knee and threw 
It far. In the meantime it had grown quite 

dark. 
And Garner sprang into the night, no spark 
Too soon, for bandit third did then appear 
With Gamer*s gun charged with buck-shot 

for deer. 
Had he brought this to bear we make quite 

bold 
To say, this tale, as now, would ne*er been 

told. 
With bare and bleeding feet he ran the trail. 
To the big Mormon camp, and told his tale. 
Seated were they around their rude camp fire. 
Telling weird tales of crime, and murder dire. 
When Garner leaped into their midst, a sight. 
That would to men less bold have caused 

affright — 
G)vered with ghastly woimds, all bleeding 

sore, 

36 



Gamer Wordtn 

His hair one clot, his garments soaked with 
gore. 

Few words sufficed. All took the trail that led 
To Garner's place; the bandits, though, had 

fled. 
They sought them well, for days, but found no 

trace. 
Their flight was well concealed, or hiding 

place. 
Poor Robert they had stabbed, and left for 

dead. 
The wound not fatal, still, profusely bled. 
And Robert did not die, but, strange to tell. 
From this night on, improved, and soon got 

well; 
But Garner bore the marks he got. through 

life. 
Perpetual reminder of that strife. 

Years afterwards the head of San Joaquin 
Beneath a glass bell-jar by crowds was seen. 
And Gamer went to view this ghastly sight. 
And recognized a foe he fought that night. 

Though homely told, this tale is strictly true; 
The writer has the proofs to show to you. 




37 



Mountain Meadow. 

Thi« poem was written by Garner B. Worden (the hero of die 
preceding narrative) and published in the Pittston Gazette, Feb. 12, 

In the heart of Navada, *mid dark frowning 
moimtains, 
With snowy-capped summits still higher 
above, 
Lies a vale of enchantment with cool, spark- 
ling fountains — 
This gem of the forest most dearly I love. 

I was charmed with the sight, the day that I 
found it. 
With its border of aspens in bright yellow 
leaves. 
Dark fir and sweet tamarack, grew thickly 
around it. 
An Eden of flowers, all the senses to 
please. 

With rainbow-bright colors, the beautiful 
flowers. 
Besprinkle the meadow, like stars in the 
sky. 
Their fragrance as sweet as the Houri's gay 
bowers. 
More sweet than the zephyrs — young Morn- 
ing's first sigh. 

38 



Let Your Light Shine 

Like a glorious sun-set that follows a shower. 
When bright, golden rays on the dark 
clouds are seen, 
Blooms this island of forest like a beautiful 
flower, 
More charming on earth than a heavenly 
dream. 

Let Your Light Shine. 

Let your light shine, brother. 

Do not hide its ray. 
You may guide another 

To the better way. 

Keep it glowing, brother. 

On a hilltop clear; 
Let no bushel cover. 

Shine forth without fear. 

You may bid defiance 

To fanatic rage; 
Liberty and Science 

Leadeth on the age. 

Listen, free-thought lover. 

You may bear the light 
To your bigot brother, 

Wand' ring in the night. 

From its bound condition. 
Free the mind of youth; 

Lead from superstition 
T^o the path of truth. 

39 



Naming the Twins 

Show by your behavior. 
Every day and hour, 

Love is still a Saviour, 
Truth is still a power. 

Let your light shine, brother. 
Do not hide its ray. 

You may guide another 
To the better way. 

Keep it glowing, brother. 
On a hilltop clear; 

Let no bushel cover. 
Shine forth without fear. 



Naming the Twins. 

Smith's wife to crown Smith's life with joys. 
Presented Smith a brace of boys; 
With waggish wit Smith thought it meet 
To name the boys, Pete and Re-Pete. 

Now, Fortune's wheel just whirls and whirls. 
And next Smith got a pair of girls; 
With equal wit, his friends relate. 
Smith called these, Kate and Dupli-Kate. 

But Fate is stern, though "kids" are nice. 
And Mrs. Smith presents twins thrice; 
With humor grim. Smith faced the facts. 
And named the "kids". Max and Cli-Max. 

40 



An Appeal. 

Come lib'ral friends. 
Let's free our minds; 

The strain that bends. 
Will break, betimes. 

Think what we must. 
Say what we will. 

There's naught but rust 
In keeping still. 

Freethinkers each. 

Freethinkers all. 
Release your speech. 

Though heavens fall. 

Agnostics, come. 

Say what you think; 
You are not dumb. 

Why duty shrink? 

Lets then come out, 
And say our say; 

The preachers '*spoul,** 
And bishops bray. 

Why should we not 
An uproar make. 

Expose the rot, 

And scotch the snake? 

41 



Just as Thankful as Anybody 

When we'er condemned. 

And on the rack. 
You may depend 

We'll not "sass** back; 



But while we'er free. 
And have our wits. 

Let's give the D — 
Partic'lar fits. 

A freethought "yell" 
Sent o'er the land. 

Would break the spell. 
And "beat the band.* 

Let's make a noise 
While yet we can. 

And shout like boys. 
But talk like men. 



Just as Thankful as Anybody. 

We do congratulate ourselves that we are here 
today, — 

To breathe the air, to feel the warmth, — and 
hope some time to stay. 

'Tis beautiful, the early dawn, also the sunset 
glow. 

The river flowing through the vale, the moun- 
tain peak of snow! 

42 



Fetich-Theism 

But, all of life is not its joys, it also has its 

pain; 
Mixed with the sweets are bitter draughts, we 

lose as others gain! 
It can't be done, as Shakespeare says, "Find 

good in everything" ; 
The ivy has its poison drop, the nettle has its 

sting! 
The Oceans know their chamal-house and 

Flames, their holacaust; 
Volcanoes belch dread death to some, by 

earthquakes some are lost! 
It can't be true the world was planned by one 

both wise and good, 
For Wisdom could plan otherwise, and Good- 
ness surely would! 
Still, we congratulate ourselves, and thank our 

heavenly stars. 
That we've escaped these natural ills, and 

dodged the auto cars! 
Yes, we'll rejoice with the devout, on each 

Thanksgiving day. 
And eat the turkey handed out, — and let our 

sisters pray! 



Fetich-Theism. 

Our ancestors, a simple folk. 

Saw forests grow. 

And waters flow. 
And to them oft the echo spoke. 
43 



Fetich-Theism 

Clear mirrored in the placid lake. 

Saw mountains old 

And rock-cliffs bold. 
Then slept and saw as when awake. 

These things they could not understand. 

But thought the wood. 

The lake, the flood 
Were moved by spirits strange and grand. 

And in their simple, rude conceit 

They looked upon 

Phenomenon 
With adoration meet. 

Phenomena's now understood. 

We read the cause 

In Nature's laws. 
And not in Nymphs of field and wood. 

The universe howe'er is great 

For man's small brain 

Concepts to gain 
Of primal cause, man's life and fate: 

So back of all, still frames the host. 

The Father-Son 

And Spirit, one, 
Adored and feared, the Triune Ghost. 
44 



Christmas. 

Why we celebrate our Christmas, on a Pagan 
festival — 

TTie Roman Saturnalia, we'll now proceed to 
tell: 

What day our God was bom on revelation 
don't reveal. 

It is a sacred secret, and angels never squeal. 

From time quite immemorial, the all-conquer- 
ing sun's return 

Occasioned man's rejoicing, and caused Yule- 
logs to burn. 

The early Christian Fathers found it easiest 
to retain 

This ancient Pagan custom, and simply 
change the name. 

Thus, instead of Saturnalia, we have our 
Christmas eve. 

But we went unto the mountain, when the 
mountain wouldn't leave. 

The Dutch Folk have St. Nicholas, the chil- 
dren's patron saint; 

He's usher' d in as Santa Claus, another 
Pagan taint. 

So Christians are indebted to Pagans, in the 
main. 

For Pagan institutions, called by another 
name. 



45 



Metrical Theology. 

The Bible legends reads. 

That sin began 

When God made man. 
Whom Satan downward leads. 

If God all things did make. 

He Satan made, 

And thus displayed 
His love, for mercy's sake. 

But God is wise and good. 

And Satan spares, 

The Word declares. 
And drowns man with a flood. 

In this benif'cent plan. 

He deserts makes. 

And sends earthquakes. 
To kill and torture man. 

And frightful cyclones brings. 

To devastate. 

And insects great. 
With pois'nous bites and stings. 

And if the Legend's true, 

He makes a lake 

Of fire, to take 
Those which the flood pass through. 

46 



Metrical Theology 

And ihen, our Heavenly Host 
Matures a scheme. 
And God, 'twould seem. 

Impersonates a ghost. 

A maid walks in the corn. 

He sees the stir. 

Overshadows her, 
And God-ghost-child is born. 

*A roaring lion," still. 

Our Satan raves» 

But God him saves. 
His *'Only Son" to kill. 

But God is good and wise. 
He 'mocks at fears,' 
And 'laughs at tears,* 

Unless — the Bible lies» 

His "vials of wrath" once full, 
He empties them 
On the heads of men. 

But Satan has a "pull." 

In fact, 'tis hard to tell, 
"Which of the two 
Would feel most blue. 

Or most at home, — in hell. 
47 



The Nature Myth. — Some Bible 
Riddles Explained. 

When the world was in its infancy, the Na- 
ture Myth arose. 

It was cin effort to dress up phenomena ii 
clothes. 

The writers of a later date, these myths quite 
oft mistook 

For literal truths, because they failed beneath 
the clothes to look. 

The Samson tale is one of these, as its name 

might indicate, 
A solar myth from the Chaldees, whence 

myths and men migrate. 
This Samson was a mighty man, his strength 

was in his hair — 
He represents the sun, you see, and locks with 

rays compare. 

When they're cut off by the equinox, the sun 
is shorn of power. 

But when at length they grow again, he's mon- 
arch of the hour. 

Samp traps three hundred foxes, and ties them 
tail and tail. 

And places fire-brands between, and sendi 
them through the vale. 
4d 



The Nature Myth 

These foxes represent the clouds, the fire- 
brands den blitz. 

Like Jove, who hurls his thunder-bolts, they 
give the sinner fits. 

One time he kills three thousand men, with 
the jawbone of an ass. 

Then being thirsty drinks from it, as from a 
drinking glass; 

This jawbone is a hurricane, that devastates 
the plain. 

But finally its fury spent, it waters it with 
rain. 

Now, he. Sphinx-like, a riddle gives; all baf- 
fled are complete: — 

**Out of the eater came forth meat, out o£ 
the strong, the sweet." -^ 

This riddle's astromonical ; will guess it now 

for you; 
The "eater" is the lion of the constellation 

zoo — 
The fifth sign of the zodiac; but when his 

reign is o'er. 
The busy little bee doth then yield you its 

honey store. 

And so dissolves to Nature Myths, like this 

old Samson tale. 
The Tower of Babel, Noah's Flood and also 

Jonah's Whale. 

49 



Gods on Toast. 

" Take, eat; this is my body " (Transsubstantiation). 

Fresh gods are edible and good, 

In any way they're served; 
They make a cheap nutricious food. 

Canned, pickled, or preserved. 

They're excellent prepared in mush. 

Or fried or fricasseed ; 
Or picked direct from "burning-bush," 

Or sandwiched in a creed. 

They're pretty good for picnicing. 
And just for lunch, they're fine; 

But for Communion they're the thing — 
Passed round with bread and wine. 

Some say they're good with cabbage boiled. 
And some, their gods must roast; 

I like them best when slightly broiled. 
And served on buttered toast. 



50 



Milestones. 

We must confess 

The printing press 
First gave the world a jog. 

And since that date, 

Though started late. 
Has never missed a cog. 

The cotton-gin 
Was next brought in. 
And Hargrave's spinning-jenny; 

And Fulton's boat 

Was set a-float. 
Like which there wasn't any. 

Next Franklin's kite 
Rose into sight. 
Which seeing, Mr. Morse, 

Electrified, 

Began to ride 
His telegraphic horse. 

Big things move slow? 

Oh no, oh no! 
While blazed this last sky-rocket. 

Was seen revealed 

Bold Sirus Field, 
His cable in his pocket. 

51 



Milestones 

Then, it was laid 

Within the shade. 
By Edison and Bell, 

Who, through their phones 

In whispered tones. 
Said things, I'll never tell. 

Now, Marconi 

Shoots thwart the sky 
In ether-wave pulsations. 

To ships in motion 

In mid-ocean. 
Greetings of friends and nations. 

The telescope. 

And microscope. 
And spectroscope as well. 

Reveal in turn. 

Vast orbs, and germ 
Infinitesmial. 

Electric lights 

Illume our nights, — 
The arc and incandescent 

With glowing spark 

Dispel the dark. 
For nabob and for peasant. 
52 



Milestones 

By aid these days 

Of cathode rays. 
Crook's tubes, and things composite. 

We can explore. 

Behind the door. 
The skeleton in the closet. 

The last to come 

Is radium 
That throws the Roentgen ray, 

Self-luminent, 

(For all intent). 
Forever and a day. 

'Tis something queer. 

The Bible ne'er 
Reveals a single hint. 

Of things we know 

Contribute so 
To man's development. 

The growing brain. 

We do maintain, 
Is source of revelation: 

Free thought alone. 

Must hew the stone 
Of progress for a nation. 
53 



Anthropomorphic Gods 'Gainst Nature- 
Cause, 

Or, Gods and Superstition, Versus 
Laws 

Prelude. 

**An honest god's the noblest work of man/* 
'Tis thus the parody on Pope's lines ran; 
And, since, this truth, from Pope, our 

prophet drew, 
'Tis plain that Pope wrote wiser than he knew. 
In taking up this theme 'tis not my plan. 
The whole immensity of space to scan. 
Nor would I, in poetic strain, rehearse 
The entire wisdom of the universe; 
Nor am I yet so wise, or yet so vain. 
As try all signal myst'ries to explain; 
I only seek, in fait' ring rhyme and trope. 
To vindicate Bob's parody on Pope. 

I. "There is no God, hath said in's heart, 

the fool"; 
And this is argument in David's school: 
When asked for proof that their god is, they 

look 
Supremely wise, and blandly quote the 

Book. 
To Greeks, all others were Barbarians, 
The Jews were Jews, all else were Gentile 

sons; 

54 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

And so, fanatic god-believing schools 
Think disbelievers all are simply fools. 
Like telescopes reversed are bigots eyes; 
The greatest truths, to them, appear as lies, 

II. Lord Francis Bacon, one of England's 

peers. 
Said, being full of wisdom and of years, 
*I would believe the Moslem Alkoran, 
I would believe the Talmud, rather, than 
To think this Universe without a mind': 
And writes John Lubbock, one of Bacon's 

kind, 
'If I am wrong, and souls of men live not, 
I pleasure take in this delusive rot. 
And will my parched, thirsty tongue not 

slake. 
In the clear spring that mirrors my mistake*. 
This, coming from such men, the truth is 

taught, 
That, the desire is father of the thought. 
If mind is entity distinct from brain. 
And may exist apart from it, we claim. 
That when one faints, from lack of flow of 

blood 
To brain, or when asphyxia, by flood. 
Or gas stops animation, that the mind 
Should still be conscious of itself. We find. 
However, that it is a total blank. 
No, no, my friends, the mind we cannot rank 
As entity, no more than candle flame. 
It, then, is clearly function of the brain, 

55 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

Whose convolutions and gray matter show 
The grasp of mind ; how far its range may go. 
If some disease the brain tissues effect, 
We see a Hke disease of intellect. 
In young and aged mentality is weak. 
We need not far proceed the cause to seek : 
Since mind is process of the brain, we find. 
Weak brain implies weak mind; no brain, no 

mind. 
Then think no more of golden streets and 

throngs 
Of saints, and harps, and hallelujah songs. 
To make the earth a heaven iwur time emplo}), 
B^ turning pain to pleasure, grief to jo}). 

III. It was believed and still the claim is 

heard. 
That printed book is "God's revealed word," 
And, "it contains all that man needs to know," 
Religion, Science, Art, "while here below." 
This book was writ in Hebrew and in Greek; 
'Tis something strange this god should fail to 

speak 
To each in his own language, but, rather, 

choose 
A poor translator of his word, to use; 
This is like making man from mud and mibs. 
Then making woman from one of man's ribs. 
Was Harvey's circulation of the blood 
Revealed in Moses' story of the flood? 
And did the widow's oil cmd bit of meal 
The Eli Whitney cotton-gin reveal? 

56 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

Was Robert Fulton's boat, and Franklin's 

kite 
Suggested by Elijah's raven's flight? 
And was the telegraph and telephone 
Wrought out by mighty Sampson's ass's bone? 
Are Tesla, Edison and Marconi 
Blind readers of this sacred Bible lie? 
Was Louis Pasteur's germ-theory of disease 
Revealed in any of its holy leaves? 
In his "Light of Asia" Aronld wrote that 

"Men 
"Perished in winter-winds till one smote fire 
"From flint stones coldly hiding what they 

held, 
"The red spark treasured from the kindling 

sun. 
*'They gorged on flesh like wolves, till one 

sowed corn, 
* 'Which grew a weed, yet makes the life of 

man; 
*'They mowed and babbled till some tongue 

struck speech, 
"And patient fingers framed the lettered sound. 
"What good gift have my brothers, but it 

came 
"From search and strife and loving sacrifice?" 

How true a thing it is that man has naught. 
That he by patient struggle has not bought; 
To him no thoughtless inspiration's given. 
No manna bountiful drops down from heaven; 
His sustenance he wrenches from the soil. 
His mental gains result from mental toil; 

57 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

And all that makes life worth the living here 
Comes from hard labor, mixed with thinking 

clear. 
No thing that marks the progress of the age 
Is found revealed in an^ Bible page. 
All revelation is development, 
*Tis growth of intellect, and is not sent; 
Its source is in the growing mind of man. 

IV. Since from the mirk historic time began 
Mankind has in his creed and Bible read 
Just what was in his multitudinous head. 
At first man's Bible literal truths doth tell. 
But when his growing reason breaks the shell. 
He calls it allegorical, or, conscience free. 
Reads in between the lines, his new idea. 
Who sees beyond the range of common mind, 
He better might have been born tot'lly blind : 
For they, by torture — thumbscrew, stake and 

rack — 
Will make him take his rash conclusion back. 

And so, no strictly honest gods occur; 
They are no better than their worshiper. 
'Tis admiration of the human mind. 
That makes their gods as wicked, wise or kind : 
But these Anthropomorphic gods, you see. 
Though like themselves, are greater in degree. 
*Tis claimed these gods are infinitely wise. 
That they foreknow all things in earth, and 
skies ; 

58 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

That they foreknow all possible events, — 
But such is *'malice 'forethought/' or "pre- 
pense". 
An infinite series of events to know. 
Is knowledge, that is not so very slow: 
'Tis like an irresistible force that hits 
A thing that is immovable, or, its 
Like making something black, and white, at 

one 
And the same time; (and now, that I've be- 
gun) 
Like making, in a minute's time, a colt 
That's three years old. It gives the mind a 
jolt. 

If God foresaw the end when he began. 
Why then repent that he had made the man 7 
With prescience such, why did he make the 

devil. 
Who was the cause, and starting point of evil? 
But then, of course, no devils now exist; 
However much they hedge, and squirm, and 

twist, 
This much, the theologians must admit 
(Though to this dogma all the others fit) . 
With this dropped out, the theologic scheme 
Must disappear, like any other dream: 
For had no devil-serpent tempted Eve, 
No primal sin had caused mankind to grieve ; 
No "fall" needs no redemption and no hell; 
No hell, no "story of the cross to tell." 
O theologs, this de'il you must not spare, 
Or your theology is turned to air. 
59 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

V. Now, if this god is infinitely good. 
And wise and powerful, he could and would 
Make known his presence unto every one. 

But this we surely know he has not done ; 
And so all those, who have an "honest doubt," 
A.nd none are sure (but those whose brains 

are out) , 
Have in themselves an abs'lute proof of this. 
That yet, no good, wise, infinite gods exist. 
Of course, no righteous god would raise a 

flood. 
Nor would he sacrifice innocent blood; 
If fear should come to man, he would not 

"mock" ; 
Nor "laugh at his calamities", nor talk 
Of "vengeance" dire, and "everlasting" hell. 
Shakespeare, in substance, says, and says full 

well, 
**The damndest errors, in religious sects. 
Are blessed h^ sober brows, and proved fcp 

texts.'' 

VI. Men, in their simple superstitious sense, 
Believe in acts of special providence; 

"No sparrow falleth to the earth," they claim, 
"Without his note", — they falleth all the 

same! 
"Man's hairs," they say, "all numbered are" 

— but wait! 
This does not save him from a shiny pate; 
A man escapes from threatened harm; he'll 

swear 
It was an act of providential care; 

60 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

One by his side is killed; he'll gravely state 
This providence saved him from a worse fate. 
*'Tlie tempered wind to the shorn lamb's" a 

lie! 
Shear off his fleece in winter, and he'll die. 
A mother's child is sick; friends kindly tell'r 
That 'tis god's will — 'tis onions in the cell'r. 
No, friends, inex'rable is Nature's law. 
It has no preference, or break, or flaw ; 
Cause and effect do all affairs control. 
And will so long as time her ages roll. 
No arbitrary will outside of man 
Has ever shaped events, or ever can. 
Man is his own, and only providence; 
His opportunity's the present tense: 
Let him no gods or de'ils propitiate; 
He is the sum and source of love and hate: 
And when his gen'rous nature outward flows, 
He scatters blessings everj'where he goes. 

In lines as fine as thought in words afford. 
The poet Holmes touches the dom'nant chord: 
*'Be firm! One constant element in luck 
Is genuine solid, old Teutonic pluck" : 
And "trust thyself," says Ralph, the essay 

king, 
"All hearts will vibrate to this iron string." 
Whateer your aim, or happiness, or pelf. 
The poiver to do, ivhate'er you do, is self. 

VII. Some folks believe that prayer will 

much avail 
To chcuige god's will, to stop his falling flail 

61 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

"That comes to thresh them out, for all their 

sins, 
And scatter them like chaff before the wmds." 
Some fools prostrate themselves; some stand in 

prayer ; 
Some, falling on their knees, pray into air: 
And one might think their god was in a trance 
The way they paw the air, and howl, and 

prance. 
Some ask for enemies' salvation, and 
There's some, like David, pray that they be 

damned ; 
The English ask their god for the Transvaal, 
The Boers, that they be freed from English 

thrall. 

Suppose there were two boys alike in all, 
Except, that one had praying friends, who call 
On god for him, at mom, and noon, and 

night ; 
One's saved, the other damned: would that 

be right? 
Know this, and knowing, stop this farce; no 

prayer 
Has ever changed the color of a hair. 
The wise saint prays for rain, when wind is 

right; 
He prays for peace, but goes prepared to fight. 

O what a god, to whom man needs to pray, 
'*Lead us not into temptation," every day! 

62 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

John Ruskin wrote: "One hour of justice 

given 
Is more than seventy years of prayer to 

heaven." 
From Emerson this valued thought we glean. 
That "prayer to private ends is theft and 

mean.*' 
True pra'^ers unspoken earnest Tvish, because 
From strong desire spontaneous action jlows. 

VIII. Our Calvanistic friends beheve that 

all, 
Ten thousand years before their birth, are 

caird 
To heaven, or else to fiery, burning hell. 
As strange as it may seem, no one can tell. 
Why a vicarious atonement plan. 
Since, foreordained before his birth is man. 
Of course, strict fairness to our friends re- 
quires 
A notice that, before the age expires. 
They'll doubtless change the wording of their 

creed 
To fit it nearer to man's growing need. 
They farther hold that babes are sent to hell. 
Who die before they even break the shell. 
In this they're more consistent than their friend, 
The Methodist, who vig'rously contends 
That all are saved who die in infancy ; 
Which claim, you see, becom.es absurdity. 
When coupled with a life-probation state. 
If "god" were infinitely wise and great, 

63 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

He ought, without probation test, to know 
Who through the "pearly gates" were fit to go. 
Suppose that all who die in childhood's state, 
Should grow to manhood, by a change of fate ; 
Would not the same per cent of lost maintain 
As those who do the state of manhood gain ? 
If all could die in infancy, all should 
Be saved; if all, who die, could live, some 

would 
Inevitably find themselves in hell 
Who, otherwise, in heaven with '*god" might 

dwell. 
Now, they reply, when asked, to this strange 

mess, 
"Great is the mystery of godliness." 

IX. This god, the father, son and spook, 

the ghost. 
This trinity of god, is hard for most 
To understand. One god, but persons three. 
Each person wholly god: What thinketh thee? 
The son was born of Mary, ghost begot, 
A kind of hocus-pocus Tommy-rot, 
That's called "o'ershadowing". This beats 

the cars": 
But Romulus was son of the god Mars 
And Rehea Silvia, the vestal maid ; 
And Jove to Danae, special courtship paid; 
None doubt (?) but from this courtship thus 

begun 
The famous Grecian hero, Perseus, sprung; 
If Jove could enter Danae's brazen tower 
Upon a sunbeam, as a golden shower, 
64 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

Why, then, of course, Jehovah as a shade. 
Might court, entice, and then seduce a maid. 
This trinity, this triune god, we preach. 
Is not the only "pebble on the beach" ; 
The Hindoos have, their bible-vedahs tell, 
A quite antique, three-cornered-god, as well. 
This Brahma- Vishnu-Siva-god devours, 
Constructs, preserves, about the same as ours. 
// one is thoroughbred, judged fcp the crow, 
'Tis simply this, the other must he so. 

X. We read thai; "faith will mountains 

move," and 'twill 
If in one's self, and coupled with a will 
To do and dare, and execute the plans 
Of this unbounded intellect, that's man's; 
But this "salvation scheme" requiring faith 
In a "vicarious atonement" wraith. 
This "cleansing power of sacrificial blood,'* 
And being "plunged beneath the crimson 

flood" 
Is superstition of the vilest kind. 
And indicates a weak and childish mind. 
The term, salvation, presupposes hell. 
And hell, a wicked, vengeful god, as well ; 
Such thoughts as these, are like our St. John's 

dream ; 
From much disordered minds wild fancies 

stream ; 
No thinking man, as truth, can long hold 

these. 
The wild vagaries of a mind diseased. 
65 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

John Greenleaf Whittier said wisely, when 
Among the other good things from his pen. 
He wrote, "that to be saved is simply this" 
(We quote), "salvation from our selfishness." 
All dotaged faith is held at heavy cost, 
Who trusts such weird dreams is surely lost; 
His creed will prove to be an empty boast. 
His god a senseless, unsubstantial ghost. 

Next comes the supererogation fake, 

St. Mary and St.-Peters-pence, the wake; 

Then with "Inerrant-Bible" we must cope, 

And then "Infallibility of Pope"; 

But ''transuhstaniiation\ make or hreaky 

For simple cussedness will take the cake 

XI. Still some maintain the Bible must be 

true. 
For Christ was prophesied by men, who drew 
Their knowledge from the inspiration spring; 
But inspiration is a mental thing. 
And comes, not from without, hut from within; 
The so-called prophecies of Christ are thin 
Attempts to turn the stream of legend lore 
To float this Christian fable from the shore. 

Some errors, that the gospel writers made. 
Puts comic opera quite in the shade. 
'Tis Matthew mistranslates the Hebrew text. 
And (it would seem he must have been per- 
plexed. 
Though his religious zeal none could surpass) 
Makes his dear saviour ride, not one jackass, 

66 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

But with our modern love of great ado, 
With most ccnsummate skill, sets him on two; 
And so, like any self-respecting clown, 
Christ rides two asses through Jerusalem town. 

Take down your auth'rized bible, turn to 

Mark, 
Then, turning, find the last half-chapter — hark! 
The margin reads: "The oldest manuscripts 
Do not contain this part." St. James here 

slips. 
Now, this interpolation, by research. 
Contains the dearest dogmas of the church. 
The finest passage in the book of John 
Is an interpolation, and 'tis on 
The sinful woman, who was left alone. 
At Christ's "who's without sin cast the first 

stone." 
Since it is shown, for sixteen hundred years 
That, what has caused no end of hopes and 

fears. 
Is mere interpolation of the text; 
(And while the priests at this are greatly 

vexed) 
We find conclusion irresistible. 
We know not what may be authentical. 

Now Exodus and Deuteronomy, 
On the famed decalogue do not agree; 
One says "God rested on the seventh day," 
Therefore, to it you must strict reverence pay; 
The other says, "Keep it, for with his hand 
God led his people forth from Egypt land." 
67 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

For which reason 'twould have us keep the 

day 
No one is good or wise enough to say. 

XII. Things once beheved are hard for men 

to yield. 
And this is true of those supposed revealed. 
TTie research of the Rawlinsons and Smiths 
Have shown to be naught else but Nature 

Myths, 
The Eden garden, mighty Babel's tower. 
And capping all, the great Noahcan shower. 
Which copied were from Mes'potamian lore. 
While Israel the yoke of Babylon bore. 
'Ere, Abraham journeyed from land of Ur, 
These Nature Myths impressed on tablets were. 
Old King Sargon and Assurbanipal, 
Collected them in libraries that fell 
When Nippur, Ninevah and Babylon, 
Great cities of the plain, were overthrown. 
These inscribed tablets that have lain entombed 
Long ages in the earth, and now exhumed. 
The origin and character reveals. 
Indisputable, of these bible tales: 
Yet teachers teach, and preachers preach the 

lie. 
That god told Moses them on Sinai. 

XIII. Says the religionist, in self-defense, 
"I can not doubt by own experience; 
I am assured that my redeemer lives. 
For I do know that he my sins forgives." 

66 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

You've heard the story of the bUnd raen, who 
Went many miles the elephant to view? 
One felt his leg and said, ''He's like a tree;" 
One grasped a tusk and cried, "Oh, dear! 

to me 
The elephant seems like a spear." "A snake," 
Cried number three, as he his trunk would 

take; 
The fourth cried out, as he about did grope. 
And caught his tail, "The elephant's a rope." 
Each man's experience was true, you see. 
But still, the beast was neither rope nor tree; 
Nor spear, nor snake, nor all combined. 
Though each was sure of right in his own 

mind. 
Experience is good, this we repeat. 
But to he trusted, should he most complete. 

I may believe a lion lies in wait. 
And, though 'tis false, my fear is just as great; 
When I escape his fancied teeth and claws 
I happy feel, though through fictitious cause. 
// we believe in vengeful god and hell. 
When We have done what priest and bible tell 
We feel relieved, and ''wipe our weeping 

eyes,'' 
Though all they say's hypocricy and lies. 

XIV There's little gained by threshing out 

old straw. 
Or raking up the past, unless we draw 
From it a lesson for our present needs: 
Has nineteen centuries of Christian creeds 
69 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

Proved aught, but lack of power to raise man- 
kind ; 

Or stop his course, when downward he's in- 
clined ? 

As Christianitj' to power rose. 

Civilization drew down to a close; 

While Christian Europe lay in darkness still. 

The Moslem Saracen forged up the hill; 

As one at relic-worship childlike played. 

The other, strides in art and science made; 

Civilization has from's ashes risen, 

But*s been in spite of Christian stake and 
prison. 

Read Draper's "Conflict," then read White's 
"Warfare,** 

And you will see 'tis true what we declare. 

But lack of power to do, is not alone 
The sin that church and bible should atone. 
In spite of all the light 'tis claimed they've 

had, 
TTieir influence has been extremely bad. 
Did not the bible tale of Witch of Endor, 
The Witch-craft craze, with its effects, en- 
gender ? 
Does not the bible, vassallage endorse. 
And put mankind on level with the horse? 
Did not old Jeptha, just to pay a vow. 
His daughter sacrifice? The book tells how: 
And since god prospered "Jep", and brought 

him back, 
Was he accessory before the fact? 

70 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

Now, we say yes, and he should be con- 
demned 
With Jeptha, his most confidential friend. 
Did not the Flagilants the scourge apply. 
Because Paul said: "The body, mortify"? 
According to this much inspired page 
This god has guilty been in every age. 
Of every crime, from taking paltry bribes, 
To the extermination of whole tribes: 
And this is as we should expect 'twould be. 
Since men maJ^e gods^ to rvhom the^ bend the 
knee. 

XV. A specious argument — ^we hear it 

daily — 
Was first proposed by one, whose name was 

Paley: 
Suppose a thoughtful man, a watch should 

find. 
Adaptation would show that 'twas designed; 
Design implies designer; thus he trod 
A path of argument from watch to god. 
On this one thread, like bridge of Al Serat, 
The theologians all serenely sat; 
But Evolution cut the thread in two 
And let the theologians tumble through; 
These demagogues in evident despair 
Are holding to the ends and clawing air. 

Now, Science proves eternal matter-force, 
Transformable, impersonal of course; 
As gravitation, motion, light and heat. 
This matter- force transformed, we daily meet; 
71 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

And all phenomena by law proceed. 

From this one substance-force, as plant from 

seed. 
Whate'er its form, or where it chance to be. 
This matter' 11 gravitate in some degree. 
From integrating mass, rotation comes, 
(See how the water from the bath-tub rur.s. 
And how the integrations of the air 
Produce cyclonic waves, when else 'twere 

fair.) 
Rotation, by tangential force, will bring 
Excess of matter toward the greater swing; 
And when there is excess enough, you'll find 
That some of it will soon be left behind. 
But still revolve about the central mass. 
As satelites around their planets pass. 
With integration, heat will generate. 
If mass is large, this may be very great; 
But heat will radiate, and cool it must, 
And like our earth, will form a solid crust 
With hot interior, or be like sun. 
Where cooling has as yet but just begun. 
We see hoiv each effect succeeds each cause. 
And not through mil, hut by unchanging laws; 
The chemic and dynamic forces make, 
Free-moving air, and ocean, stream, and lake; 
The wind-blown clouds, the mountain, plain 

and hill. 
And all the beauties that a landscape fill. 

This is no fancy sketch, but brief outline, 
Of what has taken place in course of time. 

72 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

*'It is not proved," I think I hear you say. 
But still, all evidence points the same way. 
You've doubtless heard how men hunt out bee- 
trees ? 
They catch and feed, and then "line-up" the 

bees; 
Where'er they are, where'er they chance to be. 
They'll fly dirctly toward the sought- for tree. 
All science and philosophy^ do this. 
They point the Nebular Hypothesis. 

XVI. Organic evolution next appears. 
And its results are work of countless years. 
With elements, atomic laws, and time, 
'Twere inconceivable they'd not combine. 
And form, of all organic life, the base — 
The protoplasmic cell ; from which we trace. 
By aid of microscope, the form and growth 
Of plant and animal, alike in both. 
This growth from elements to primal cell 
Was, doubtless, slow, and imperceptible; 
But grow it did! C H. O. N. P. S. 
Are the six elements, no more, no less. 

When these organic forms disintegrate. 
They quick return to elemental state. 
All efforts, muscular, or mental, cause 
Like tissue waste, by compensation laws. 
Then, thought must come from protoplasmic 

source. 
As motion, from a sim'lar muscle- force. 
Now, the Amoeboid cells do functionate ; 
They move, select, digest, assimilate; 

73 



Anthropomorphic God^ 

More complex forms, composed of many cells. 
Divide these functions up, as need compels ; 
And some digest, some feel, some think, some 

see; 
This is development, as all agree; 
And pef, there's no design, no more a plan. 
From simple rhizpod to lordly man. 

XVII. As to the origin of species read 
Charles Darwin, with a mind from bias freed. 
"Heredity," with "variation," too. 
And "Natural Selection," just as true, 
"Adaptation to changed environment," 
"Survival of the fittest," — all present 
Some phase of differential growth, we see 
Developing in animal and tree. 

All progeny resembles parentage. 

But differs some in every rank and stage; 

If changes in environment arrive. 

The forms that vary with the change survive. 

If changes, lowering temperature, occur. 

The animal that grows the densest fur 

Will be most likely to survive the cold ; 

And, as hereditary laws unfold. 

We see how changes permanent take place 

In individuals, and in the race. 

The same applies to change of food, or foe. 

The animal or plant that way must go; 

Or else, as does occur, with those be linked. 

Which have along the way become extinct. 

This you may call survival of the fit. 

Or Natural Selection, cither's it. 

74 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

The demagogue sets up a man of straw. 
That he may knock it down, and then "haw- 
haw!" 
Now, Science never said man was an ape. 
The statement was not made in quite that 

shape ; 
But, both descended from a common source, 
Each took his own, and each, his separate 

course ; 
The ape grew some, and may be growing still. 
But man has climbed far up the shining hill. 
Say, which would you prefer, be perfect made. 
To "fall from grace," and wander in the 

shade ; 
Or have an origin that*s lower down. 
And rise, by slow degrees, to wear the crown? 
The one presents the theologic view. 
The other, evolution; which is true? 

VXIII. Has evolution proofs on which to 

stand ? 
Yes, there is evidence on every hand; 
Tell why the foetus of each vertebrate, 
Aortic-arches and gill-slits creates 
To be absorbed, or changed to other form. 
Before the animal is duly bom. 
If individual development 
Is not along the line of race descent? 
And while you're telling things, won't you tell 

how. 
That from Silurian times, even till now. 
Fossils present a constant change of state, 
From lowest mollusc to high vertebrate? 

75 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

And flower less, sporadic cryptograms 

Give place to flowering, fruiting trees, like 

palms } 
And while you're in a good explaining fix. 
Investigate the Archaeopteryx ; 
How teeth and tail reptilian there occurred. 
Mixed with the wings and feathers of a bird? 
Say, to be strictly honest, don't you think 
That here is found a so-called "missing link"? 
Now, place the man himself upon the stage : 
Did he not surely rise from the "stone age"? 
Compare with care the skull Neanderthall, 
With that of Bruno, Shakespeare, Ingersoll. 
If you are not convinced, 'tis not because 
Of lack of proof, or logic, or of laws ; 
But 'cause "A m.an convinced against his will," 
As said, "is of the same opinion still." 

XIX. 'Tis plain that superstitions did arise. 
And man did people earth with spectral lies ; 
But how could he phenomena explain. 
Beyond the scope of his untutored brain? 
He hears the voice the neighb'ring forests 

make 
And sees his picture in the mirrored lake; 
This would suggest a self that's duplicate. 
One real, and one spectral, both iimate. 
And when he sees things move, he can't tell 

how. 
He peoples them with spectres, not a few ; 
And spirits of the waters, and the woods. 
Of winds and fountains, rivers, trees and floods 

76 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

Spring into magic life, on every hand. 

And spirits, spectres, spooks, fill all the land. 

The fact of dreams, to this delusion lends 

A seeming evidence of truth, and tends 

To make two classes, bad and good, 

Of spectral sprites, that people field and wood; 

Buty as man's knowledge and experience grows. 

His superstition to the winds he throws; 

Explains phenomena fcp Natural laws, 

B^ transforw.ed force, and by effect and cause; 

His gods all vanish into air, of course. 

And leave behind impersonal matter-force. 

XX. Do morals, then, imply the gods and 

hell. 
And all the dogmas theological? 
For such an inference there is no need. 
Mans character is something more than creed. 
I knew a man who'd lie and cheat, and steal, 
And crimes commit, and no compunction feel; 
But when one chanced the god idea to score. 
He was so much incensed he cursed and 

swore ; 
And Atheists youve known, who'd lose their 

ears 
Than do a neighbor wrong; then, calm your 

fears. 
For character rests not in god-belief. 
Or immortality, whatever ^our grief! 

Self-preservation is Nature's first law; 
But when on reason men begin to draw, 

77 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

They see others have rights as well as they. 
And slow but sure their selfishness gives way 
And altruistic sense pervades the race, 
And men, as brothers, brother men, embrace. 
No man can think it right, a wrong to do 
Unto his brother man: Say this, can you? 
And this is so, because mans what he is. 
And not because some god commandments 

give. 
Man's immortality's no Brahman creed ; 
From this one superstition, they are freed, 
But do not Hindoo morals, well compare. 
With medieval Christians'? Say, declare! 

XXI. Concentrate thought's the means by 

which the brain 
Must error first discover, then restrain; 
And thought's the potent force that must be 

hurled 
At the gross superstitions of the world: 
Yes, thought our David is; his task to slay 
Goliath superstition, in our way. 

This thought to us, the telescope has given. 
An instrument with which to sweep the 

heaven ; 
And microscope, an instrument as well. 
To show the things infinitesimal. 
The spectroscope comes next, and it reveals 
The composition of the star that wheels 
Its course trillions of miles away from earth; 
The lightning telegraph, and all of worth, 

78 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

And all that's worthy to be ki^oTvn, or taught. 
Has come to man, by honest, fearless thought. 
TTius architecture, sculpture, painting, arts, 
With poetry and music, thought imparts. 
It gave man language, by which means he 

can 
Communicate his thoughts to fellow man; 
It gave him written words, with which to 

reach. 
The distant, and the future with his speech — 
"The wondrous symbols that can still retain 
The phantom forms that pass along the 

brain"; 
It gave the printing-press, by which we find, 
Man's thoughts disseminate to all mankind. 
It drove the iron-horse to Riga Kulm, 
And through the St. Gothard, dark Pluto's 

realm ; 
It gave the spinning-jenny of Hargraves, 
And now, the liquid air, and Roentgen rays. 
And thought has weighed the earth, and 

knows its weight. 
Can span the heavens, and the stars locate; 
Observes the hast'ning beam of morning Hght, 
And knows its speed, and seven colors bright; 
By thought, in our waste places water flows. 
Which makes them smile and blossom as the 

rose; 
And thought's the stone that's cut without a 

hand. 
That shall a mountain make, and fill the land. 
79 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

XXII. Religion is, of man, the brother- 
hood; 
Its base is ethical; its creed, be good; 
Since right is right, do right; for truth's own 

sake. 
Love truth; be just; and moral beauty make 
Your guiding star; the selfish creed repel. 
That man is only good for fear of hell. 
Or hope of heaven. No god, but good, we 

know; 
No devil, only evil ; thus we sow 
The seeds of noble character, and rear 
Brave self-reliant men, not warped by fear 
Of angry gods, and torments after death; 
Of fire, and dragons with the pois'nous 

breath ; 
But men that stand erect, and face the world, 
And spurn the taunts by wild fanatics hurled. 
At science, law, and principles, and vvorth. 
And all that's high in man, and on the earth. 

Such was Tom Paine, whose creed was 

"good to do," 
And, who for freedom fought on cont'nents 

two; 
He nobly spurned "blind leaders of the 

blind," 
And taught, true liberty is in the mind. 
The deed that's prompted by reward, or fear. 
Is not a test of virtue, there nor here. 
The man, who works from mercenary ends. 
Knows he's a hypocrite, and no amends, 

80 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

So Longfellow, with native grace and skill. 
Says this, in words that stimulate and thrill, 
*He that respects himself is calm, not fierce. 
He wears a coat of mail that none can 
pierce.' 

We still rely, though priest and church decry. 
On this, thai truth is better than a lie: 
On this hypothesis our strictures make. 
On this, we build, and all our logic stake. 
Does not the English poet, Cowper say. 
And say it in a most convincing way, 
* 'Virtue's the amaranthine flower of earth. 
And truth's the only treasure that's of 

worth." 
What says our poet Lowell on this themeo. 
And says it in his senses, not a dream > 
"Those love truth best, who to themselves are 

true. 
And what they dare to dream of, dare to do." 

Our Bible, Nature is, and here we read. 
In tree, and stone, and brook, our simple 

creed. 
Convincing proofs must go before our faiths; 
We take no stock in immaterial wraiths. 
All inspiration is concentrate thought — 
A product of the brain, and, not as taught, 
A sneak, unknown intruder from without. 
That prompts a "saving faith,*' or ^'damning 

doubt.'' 
All revelation is development; 
81 



Anthropomorphic Cods 

A growth of mind; knowledge acquired, not 

sent. 
True immortality consists, we say. 
In influence for good, that Hves for aye. 
In thoughts and deeds of men, that brighter 

grow. 
The farther down the stream of time they 

flow. 

We've not by blood of sacrifice been bought; 
Our Savior*s fearless, independent thought. 
It Hfts us from the mire of fear and dread, 
And sets us on the rock, where we may tread. 
With footing firm, Hfe's path, and find its 

joys, 
In home, and wife; our daughters and our 

boys. 
It lifts us from the ruts of rotton creeds. 
From heathen superstition, that still feeds 
On mans life blood, and heart, and brains. 
Till he's an epileptic saint in chains. 
And sets him on the mount where sunlight 

clear 
Reveals the mental fogs, and mists so drear. 
O what is comp'rable to mounting high 
Upon some eminence, that points the sky. 
And see your prospect, as you chmb, expand, 
Till vales in mist, and sunlit-peaks so grand. 
Form such a vivid contrast, that you say, 
*'Down there is spectral night, up here is day." 
This is the way man feels, when he escapes 
From superstitious fear of gods, and ma^es 

82 



Anthropomorphic Gods 

A vorv, thai he II he free; then night is da^. 
And all the clouds of darkness flee away. 

The Cood, the Beautiful, the True, the Just, 
These are the LiFral deities that must 
Reform the world, and regenerate mankind. 
And make the earth a paradise refined. 
Where thought, and reason flowers shall blos- 
som free. 
And love and peace, the golden fruitage, he. 




83 



Trilobite. 

On receiving from my son a fossil trilobite mounted as a watch fob. 

Ye Phacops bufo — Trilobite 

That lived, and crawled, and saw the light 

When the world was young, then found 

grave — 
A mausoleum safe, where beat the wave 
On Devonian shores — we revere thy age. 
A dumb oracle thou art, but sage; 
Thy unwritten page is eloquent 
Of truth long sought, but never sent; 
Thy stony, rayless eyes reveal 
The things thy silence would conceal; 
A million ages are the span 
That bridge thy time to that of man; 
No flowers decked the earth, no seed 
Then grew; the dominant human breed 
Was not evolved; none of his kind 
Had graced the earth; but here we find 
Thee made to dangle from his chain — 
A fob — the subject of refrain. 



84 



Vyhen Your Boil Is Just a-Boiling. 

If you're looking *round for comfort. 

Do not start a boil to grow. 
For you'll think that you are done for't. 

And some gloomy days will know; 
When your boil begins subsoiling. 

And your bones commence to crack — 
When your boil begins a-boiling. 

Then its owner's on the rack. 

If your boil is on your neck-piece. 

Or, perchance, within your nose, 
You will give your friends a colder 

Welcome, 'cause — yes, 'cause of those. 
First, you cease your heavy toiling. 

For ambition now you lack — 
When your boil is just a-boiling. 

Then its owner's on the rack. 

When your boil has got to jumping. 

And has grown a mighty cone; 
When your pulse is hotly thumping. 

And you speak in labored tone; 
When your flesh is simply broiling. 

And you're keeping something back — 
When your boil is just a-boiling. 

Then its owner's on the rack. 

When your boil turns out carbuncle. 
And it gives you little rest, 
85 



An Epitaph 

Won't you write and tell your uncle. 
Where you like to have it best? 

WTien your nerves are all recoiling. 
And are taking up their slack — 

When your boil is just a-boiling. 
Then its owner's on the rack. 

When your cone breaks in eruption. 

Which for long you've wished would be. 
And it rolls its hot corruption 

From its base into the sea; 
You no longer feel like spoiling 

Everything that's in your track. 
For your boil's no longer boiling, 

And its owner's off the rack. 



An Epitaph. 

A pious bull! 
Justus full 
Of inborn. 
Fraternal love! 

The bull backslid — 

Justus rid 

On a horn. 

To heaven above. 

Moral: 

Trust no bull though he 
Profess entire sanctification. 

86 



MOk That Is Milk. 

The Iowa cow is in the field. 

Making milk; 
She still gives an awful yield — 

Fine as silk; 
White or black or roan or red. 
In the barnyard or the shed. 
Every scrub or pure bred 

Gives us milk. 

— Dairy Produce. 

Was there no Jersey in the field 

Making milk? 
Was no yellow hide revealed 

Fine as silk? 
White and black and roan and red, 
All make milk as you have said. 
But the Jersey pure bred — 

She makes milk. 

— Jersey Bulletin. 

The Holstein cow is in the field 

Making milk; 
White and black, her glossy shield 

Fine as silk: 
White and black, not roan, nor red. 
And she, too, is pure bred — 

So's her MILK. 

— Holstein-Friesian World. 



87 



Thou Holstein-Friesian, Hail ! 

Thou Holstein-Friesian, black and white, all 

hail! 

Thy race is ancient, and thy fame secure! 

For centuries thy blood, rich, red and pure 

Has coursed; thou are all cow from horns to 

tail! 
Who bank on thee have little need to fail! 
Thy products 3neld an income large and 

sure! 
Wolves clothed in wool seek whom tKey 
may allure. 
But Virtue still lies in the flowing pail. 
Shades of De Kol and Hengerveld, of Burke, 
Of Inka, Pietertje and Pauline Paul, 
Rest ye in peace! Still honored lives each 
name. 
New dames, world-records make in A. R. 
work. 
Proud Gerben wins Fair trophies over all. 
While * 'Champion Queen" peals forth Jo- 
hanna's fame. 



83 



Aaggie Cornucopia Pauline. 

Thu cow held the world's championship from 1904 to 1907, 
yielding 659.2 pounds of milk, 27.459 pound« of butter fat, equal to 
32 pounds of butter, in seven days. 

O Aaggie Cornucopia 

We hail you with acclaim; 
World's champion of cows today — 

The summit of cow fame. 

Still, though you make more butter fat. 

At other breeds don't scorn; 
Your nature makes you do just that — 

You were a Holstein born. 

If Jerseys can't make half so much. 

Why, they are not to blame; 
Small milkers? Yes, they were born such, — 

Were Jerseys when they came. 



Colantha 4th's Johanna. 

Thi« H<4»tein-Friesian cow produced 27,432.5 pounds of milk, 
998.26 pounds 0^ butter fat, equivalent to 1,164 pounds of butter io 
one year. 

G)lantha 4th's Johanna 

Has won the heights serene; 
Unchallenged, bears the honor. 

World's Champion Dairy Queen. 



89 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian. 

Where the blue Rhine westward sweeping. 

Presses back the waves of ocean. 

In the Lowlands by the North Sea, 

In the land of dikes and wind-mills. 

Lives a people stern and hardy. 

Lives a people never conquered; 

Here we find the black and white cow. 

Here the home of Holstein-Friesians. 

More successful than Canute was. 
This proud, peaceful race of freemen 
Have swept back the ocean billows, 
Said to them, "Hold! stay your progress! 
Thus far may ye come, no farther/' 
Where the sea once held dominion. 
There are now broad, fertile meadows 
Dotted o'er with Holstein-Friesians. 

Now, the history of this people. 

Is the history of these cattle; 

Running backward through dim vistas, 

Shrouded in the mists of ages. 

Long before the Christian era. 

Long before the Roman legions 

Cut their way through German forests. 

They were bred by this same people; 

Formed their wealth and gave their living. 

Paid their taxes, shared their dwellings. 

Can we wonder that this people 

90 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

Hold their cattle in high favor? 
Can we wonder that these cattle 
With such pedigree and record. 
With such care and such devotion, 
In a land so famed £ind fertile. 
Of all modern races bovine. 
Are the finest, grandest, noblest? 

Just in passing I will mention. 
That this breed has many off-shoots; 
From the Russian Kolmagorian, 
To the Holderness on the Humber; 
That their blood was early mingled 
With the Durham, modern Shorthorn; 
That the Ayrshires got their milk-veins 
From the blood of Holstein-Friesians. 

Yes this breed has been transplanted 

To the soil of many nations: 

To Australia and New Zealand, 

To the Transvaal, Natal, Cape Town, 

To the southern Argentina, 

To the islands of the ocean, 

Cuba, Pearl of the West Indies, 

Honolulu, Azores, Japan. 

But their new home by adoption. 

Where they're held in highest honor, 

Where they reach immense production. 

Is the States of our Republic, 

The Canuck Dominion northward. 

And the Aztec Country southward. 

91 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

From the Pine Tree to the Lone Star, — 
AH the States have been invaded; 
Though the Empire state is foremost. 
Buckeyes, Badgers, Hoosiers, Hawkeyes, 
Wolverines, Corncrackers have them; 
Through the woods of Penn they wander. 
On the Great Plains and the Prairies, 
In the Land of the Dakotahs. 
Like the Star of Empire, westward 
They have made triumphal progress; 
From Virginia's fertile Piedmont, 
O'er the Rockies and Sierras, 
To the Puget and Willamette; 
To the Vale of Sacramento 
And Tulare's rose-tinted valleys. 
Looking toward the golden sunset. 

Should you question, should you ask me 

Explanation for the naming 

Black and white cows from West Friesland 

By the German Province, Holstein, 

I would say the explanation 

Must be sought for in the history 

Of the early importations 

Of the breed into this country. 

Messrs. Chenery, and Whiting, 

Were among the first importers: 

Rivalry and competition 

Brought about the publication 

Of distinctly separate Herd-Books — 

One, was known as the Dutch Friesian. 

WTien the German Anglo-Saxons 

92 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

Settled England, they brought with them 

Black cind whites from §axon Holstein. 

On the banks of the broad Humber, 

In the Holdernesian district. 

Throve these cattle, and were known as 

Holderness, or German, Holstein. 

Mr. Chenery for some reason. 

Chose the English nomenclature. 

Called his black and white cows, Holsteins, 

And his Herk-Book, Holstein Herk-Book. 

Rivalry soon bred contention; 

Friction causes loss of motion; 

Paper bags by hot-air lifted. 

Carry little freight of commerce. 

Wing no high-hopes, aspirations; 

This was seen and sager counsels 

Brought a reconciliation; 

Thus these two Associations 

Were united with one Herd-Book, 

And their names were hyphenated; 

Hence we have the Holstein-Friesian. 

Should you wonder, should you ask me. 
What distinction, what great merit 
This peculiar breed possesses 
That for more than twenty centuries. 
Has preserved its ancient prestige. 
And from peaceful little Friesland, 
Spreading over many countries. 
Now bids fair the world to conquer? 
I would answer, I would tell you. 
That their size and constitution, 

93 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

Their prepotenc)^ and vigor. 
Are large factors in the problem; 
But the factor that is foremost. 
Standing like a wall of granite. 
Like the rock of old Gibraltar, 
In the pathway of their rivals. 
Is production, large production. 

Not alone one doubtful merit. 
Milk and cheese and beef and butter, 
A quadruple of production 
Is the mark set by the Friesian! 
This four-square potential merit. 
Wields the magic wand of profit. 
Profit! sought the wide world over. 
Profit! aim of every business. 
Profit! giant tree commercial. 
Like the mighty modern red-wood, 
Like the fabled ash, Igdrasil, 
Told in Sagas and in Eddas, 
That the Universe, supported. 
One root reaching up to Asgard, 
And one dovm to Niffelheima. 

But a factor more essential 
Than the sordid one of profit, 
Calling up the mother instinct. 
Touching cords of strong affection, 
Is the similar composition 
Of the milk the Friesian yields us 
To the human-mother product. 
Making it more fit for children, 

94 



The Song of the Holstein-Fnesian 

More digestible, nutricious ; 
And our race shows strong attachment 
To this black and white cow wet-nurse, 
To this Friesian Foster-mother. 

Then this Friesian cow appeals to 
M2ui's aesthetic sense quite strongly, — 
His inherent love of beauty. 
What, among domestic creatures. 
Is more fascinating, handsome. 
Than this black and white cow, Holstein, 
Than this variegated Friesian? 
What more picturesque and pleasing, 
Feeding on the sloping hillsides. 
Up to eyes in spangled daisies; 
Drinking from the woodland brooklet. 
Hidden by the watercresses ; 
Lying in the peaceful valley, 
'Neath the shade of elm and maple 
Than a herd of black and white cows? 
What more interesting picture. 
Than a long line of sleek Holsteins 
In their stalls slow ruminating; 
Backs all straight and hair so glossy. 
Ribs well sprung and switches tapering; 
Slender necks and eyes most tender. 
Crinkled milk-veins, massive udders? 
Then to see o'erflowing milkpails. 
Mom and eve of purest nectar — 
Milk! a food, of earth the sweetest. 
Nature's ever richest banquet. 

95 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

Many queens among these Friesians, 
By their milk and butter records. 
Records vouched by College Stations, 
Have, their names made widely famous^ 
Now become through numerous offspring. 
Honored names of noble families; 
Hengervelds, De Kols and Korndykes, 
Pietertjes, and Waynes, and Veemans; 
Pauline Pauls, Burkes and Sarcastics, 
Aaggies, Inkas, Cornucopias; 
Pietjes, Posches, Hartogs, Soldines, 
Aaltje Salos, and Clothildes; 
Pontiacs, Colanthas, Dirkjes, 
Ormsbys, Manors, Paynes, Johannas; 
Harks, Canaries, Friends, Coronas, 
Gerbens, Ondas, Beets, Mercedes; — 
When the Hall of Famous Holsteins, 
Shall be reared by our descendents. 
Names of worthies not here listed. 
Will be graven on its tablets. 

Pietertje 2d gave of pure milk 
Thirty thousand pounds in one year ; 
Recently De Kol Creamelle gave 
Quite three thousand forty pounds milk. 
In one month of thirty diems. 
Aaggie Cornucopia Pauline, 
At the age of four years, tested 
Seven and twenty pounds of pure fats; 
Thirty days, one hundred-ten pounds. 
Now Colantha 4th's Johanna, 
Anno nineteen hundred-seven, 

96 




Colaniha 4th 's Johanna 

Has Won the heights serene; 

Unchallenged, hears the honor. 

World's Champion Dairy Queen. 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

From Wisconsin makes her debut. 

Sets the mark still one pound higher. 

But for records search the A. R., 

Eighteen volumes full to covers; 

Seven-day, fourteen, thirty, sixty. 

All the way to six months, eight months. 

Each attested, some re-tested. 

It is written, is recorded. 

Whoso makes two blades of grass grow, 

Where before but one has flourished. 

Is a race-wide benefactor. 

Who can doubt the benefaction 

In the skillful breeding, feeding. 

Care and patient, close attention 

That results in such grand records? 

If there are Recording Angels, 

Holstein records must be set down 

In great A. R. tomes in heaven. 

Breeds are clay in hands of potters* 
To be fashioned to their fancies: 
Here is then an obligation. 
Wide in scope, in nature moral. 
Which no breeder lightly may hold. 
Which all breeders must acknowledge. 
Listen, men who breed our Holsteins, 
Their good name is in your keeping. 
See that it is never tarnished; 
Quickly cast back every slander. 
Hurled by jealous beaten rivals; 
Rest not on your proud attainments, 
Raise your standards, win fresh laurels. 
97 



The Song of the Holsiein-Friesian 

In the realm of horticulture, 
Burbank is the wizard worker ; 
See the multitudinous new life. 
Buds of beauty, fruits of promise. 
Springing from his skillful breeding! 
Holstein breeders, watch this wizard. 
Waive the same wand he is waiving. 
Be assiduous, be persistent, 
Mate with care and watch the nicking; 
Scan results with keenest vision. 
Discard failures with stern rigor. 

Nature is the master artist 
And selection is her method; 
Those survive that are the fittest; 
Spalts are ruthlessly extinguished. 
Thus the breeder should be guided; 
Hold improvement the criterion; 
Swerve not to vile Mammon's dictates; 
Hew to Nature's perfect plumb-line. 

With the arthropods, the insects. 
Work is done with great precision; 
Homes and roads are geometric; 
Wisdom seems to rule their actions. 
Here 'tis learned by close observers. 
Queens are made by skillful feeding. 
From their larvae no whit different 
Than develop common workers: 
Learn from them a useful lesson — 
Make your Friesians Queens by feeding. 
Balanced rations balance profits; 
Profits flow not from starvation. 

98 



The Song of the Holstein-Friesian 

Breeding, weeding, feeding, these are 
Ever cardinal points of compass 
Leading to success with Holsteins. 
But some medial points are lacking; 
Give your stables ventilation. 
Cleanliness and sanitation; 
Add then, sunshine, comfort, kindness; 
Nothing can be long neglected. 
When the goal sought is perfection. 

When at night beneath the great dome. 
Over-arching, star-bespangled. 
We behold the dusky pathway. 
Leading no one knoweth whither. 
Understand, it is the cow-path. 
Deeply trodden, long-time cow-path. 
To the Heaven of Holstein-Friesians, 




99 



The Friesian Cow. 

(Tune, Dixie) 
Written for the National Dairy Show, Chicago, 1908. 

The Black and Whites are the grandest 

cattle. 
Bet your cash and every chattel, 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands ! 
The Friesiein cow, as I was saying. 
The only cow that now is paying, 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands ! 

Chorus : — 
Yes, she's a mortgage lifter, 
Hoo-ray ! Hoo-ray ! 
We know her worth. 
She beats the earth. 
In milk, and cheese, and butter; 

Holstein, Friesian — 
In milk, and cheese, and butter; 

Holstein, Friesian — 
In milk, and cheese, and butter. 

The Black and White is the best cow- 
mother. 

To equal her there is no other, 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands ! 

Her milk is best for raw consumption. 

This you know, if you have gumption, 

100 



The Friesian Cow 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands ! 

Chorus : — 

The Queen of cows is our great Johanna, 
Skin as yellow's a ripe banana, 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands! 
Eleven hundred pounds in a year of butter. 
Eleven hundred sixty-five of butter, 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands ! 

Chorus : — 

They've got all breeds beat to a frazzle. 
Don't they make your optics dazzle? 

America! Holstein cow! Friesisui cow! 
Netherlands ! 
Go hide your Jerseys, pink-eyed Jerseys, 
Little, golden, pint-jug Jerseys, 

America! Holstein cow! Friesian cow! 
Netherlands ! 

Chorus : — 
Yes, she's a mortgage-lifter, 
Hoo-ray ! Hoo-ray ! 
We know her worth. 
She beats the earth. 
In milk, and cheese, and butter; 

Holstein, Friesian — 
In milk, and cheese, and butter; * 

Holstein, Friesian — 
In milk, and cheese, and butter. 

101 



Farm Philosophy. 

'Tis Agriculture forms the generous base 
Of growth and progress in the human race. 
The savage lives by game — beasts, fish, and 

birds — 
The semi-savage tribes tend flocks and herds; 
TTie higher types of man all till the land. 
And Mother Earth repays with bounteous 

hand. 
The teeming earth potentially contains. 
Not simply fruits and cereals, but brains. 

The sculptor, in the block of marble, sees 
The form that he reveals by slow degrees; 
The husbandman sees, as result of toil. 
Civilization springing from the soil: 
Sees cities, governments and states arise. 
Grow great and powerful before his eyes. 
Who drains a swamp, or irrigates a field. 
Or makes a plant more sustenance to yield; 
Who grows two blades of grass where grew 

but one, 
A benefactor is, a good has done; 
And in the wall he lays a stone in place. 
That represents the progress of the race. 

Food comes not as the fabled Manna fell. 
But as reward of labor — strange to tell! 
Who works contributes to the world's store- 
house, 

102 



Farm Philosophy) 

Who does not work, infests, as rat or mouse. 
Work makes the man, and fear of it the 

snob. 
The genus Homo, and the genus "Slob"; 
Yet, labor, muscular, is blind and halt. 
Unless 'tis quicken'd with strong metal salt. 
Know this, what makes life worth the living 

here, 
Comes from hard labor mixed with thinking 

clear. 

The Farmer like the Poet is not made, 
But bom. In bringing science to his aid 
He shows his fitness for his caUing high: 
But marked success requires a searching eye, 
A listening ear, a cultivated hand; 
And back of all a mind to understcind. 
And rightly to interpret Nature's laws. 
And, from phenomena, look to the cause. 

The Farmer ought, more than most men, to be 
Familiar with all "ologies" — but "The" — 
He should know how new species to create. 
Vile weeds and insect pests exterminate; 
Physics, matics, and chemistry must know. 
How to unlock the soil and make plants grow; 
Must time things right, and not procrastinate; 
The weather, too, he must prognosticate: 
Both muscle and brain energy conserve. 
And deal with men, nor from strict justice 

swerve : 
"Strike while the iron is hot," observe and 

turn 

103 



Farm Philosophy) 

Men's failures to his own account; and learn; 
Would he ripe fruit from tree of knowledge 

pluck, 
And have success and usual good luck. 

II. Take my advice, if farming is a bore. 
Then peddle tin, or run a country store; 
Farming requires some breadth of intellect; 
A love of nature, and high self respect. 
'Tis cheaper far to buy good land than 

make it; 
(Advice is free, reject it then, or take it.) 
Experience is a dear Alma Mother, 
But fools will seldom learn from any other. 

Select your farm near a good market place. 
For distance handicaps you in the race. 
Pure water is of prime necessity. 
And should abundant and convenient be; 
To drainage look; health may on it depend; 
Health gone; All gone: and happiness must 

end. 
Good roads, good neighbors, and good 

schools be near. 
That this you will regret, you need not fear; 
Let not the higher price cause great alarm. 
It will increase more than a meaner farm; 
Choice of the spot where must your life be 

spent, 
Should not be settled by a "flipped up" cent; 
But, by a careful and detailed review. 
By weighing present needs, and future, too. 

104 



Farm Philosophy 

Success in farming and success in life, 

Depend in large degree upon the wife; 

Make her no drudge, but Queen of house and 

home; 
To her for counsel and for solace come; 
Let confidence and trust as freely flow. 
As water runs, or summer zephyrs blow; 
Look to her happiness as to your own. 
And lapse of years will prove that love has 

grown. 

IIL In planning house, comfort should not 

be lost. 
Economize house work, and also, cost; 
Each room, each day should serve, while we 

survive. 
Not one day only, of three sixty-five: 
Seek, not display, but modesty and grace. 
And choose a style appropriate to the place. 

In decorating rooms, let nature guide; 
Observe the flowers and birds on every side, — 
How harmony in sharp contrasts is found. 
Backed by a soft and neutral-tinted ground. 
The purples, reds, and pinks, brilliant and 

gay. 
Rest on the sober green, and brown, and 

gray. 

Plant shrubbery, not to hide your house from 

sight. 
But as a setting for a jewel bright: 
Do not shut off your view of field and farm, 

105 



Farm Philosophy 

By building house too near a mammoth bam; 
Characteristic odors of the stable. 
Should never mingle with those from the 
table. 

In planning barns the central thought should 

be 
Convenience coupled with economy; 
Not many barns, but one; wide floors; deep 

mows; 
A shop and covered yard for sheep and cows: 
Concentration of work, adopts, you see, 
The conservation law of energy. 

Make garden large and do not fence it round. 
But leave it free, to plow and till the ground; 
Sow some to spare, and cultivate in rows. 
Life is too short to do it all with hoes. 
In laying out the plot, provide for flowers. 
To deck and beautify these homes of ours. 
Dear flowers how great a charm you bring to 

life! 
How much you mitigate this world of strife! 

*'A penny saved is two pence earned," saith 

true, 
Ben Franklin is his almanac to you: 
But oft "pence-wisdom" loses "folly-pound"; 
Wise judgment in weak heads can scarce be 

found. 
Be not penurious or miserly. 
Far better err in liberality. 
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be. 
For borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." 

106 



Farm Philosophy 

IV. Wise nature gives not only flowers, but 

trees ; 
Ccui ought enrich or renovate Hke these, 
TTie soil; or vistas frame that please the eye. 
And hillsides deck, and landscapes beautify? 
Yet, man will hew them down with wanton 

haste. 
Lay bare the soil and make of it a waste: 
Dry up the fountains, check the fall of rain. 
Then, build great dikes the spring floods to 

restrain ; 
Clear arable and watered lands at will. 
Let timber grow in swEimp, and on the hill. 

There is a charm in forest solitudes; 

TTiese peaceful depths inspire our loftiest 

moods : 
Great hoary trees hold us as with a spell, 
Of other times and scenes they seem to tell: 
How inexpressible and kingly grand 
These trees that have withstood, and still 

withstand. 
The storm's wild blast, and raging tempest 

shock. 
That angry make their giant branches rock! 
Primeval trees, majestic, and sublime, 
Hius unsubdued to meet the charge of time. 
Is it so strange, more superstitious folks. 
Had sacred trees, and Druids worshipped 

oaks? 
Remove the ancient land-marks, if you please. 
Do what you will, but spare these ancient 

trees. 

107 



Farm Philosophy 

V. *'Owe no man cinything," respect will 

save. 
And Shakespeare adds "he that's in debt's a 

slave." 
Beware of mortgages that ceaseless eat. 
And undermine the ground beneath your feet; 
Or, like the devil-fish, wraps you about 
With slimy folds, and sucks your life-blood 

out. 
Sell produce in the most concentrate form. 
Sell beef, not hay, and pigs instead of com. 
Know this, that dirt is "mater out of place," 
And profit make by utilizing waste. 
Litter of rubbish, piles of odds and ends. 
An air of lack of thrift, appearance ^ends. 
Clear fence hedge-rows of brambles, trees and 

weeds. 
Where the tent-caterpillar builds and breeds; 
Keep buildings painted and the harness oiled. 
Make small repairs before a thing is spoiled; 
Build bridges well before the streams are 

swollen. 
And lock the barn before the horse is stolen ; 
Remember that, "a stitch in time saves nine," 
And profit by the wisdom of the rhyme. 

You crowd the work, not let the work crowd 

you, 
'Tis easier by far — pays better, too; 
Do not put off what you should do to-day. 
And what is worth the doing, so they say. 
Should be done well; but when the daily 

round 

108 



FaTm Philosophy 

Of work is done, read Whittier's "Snow 

Bound," 
Or, in the glow of wood-fire and lamp-light. 
Read Robert Burns' "The G)tter's Saturday 

Night." 
Wide reading and deep thought alone can give 
A vantage that makes life worth living; — 

live. 
Be not deceived; by common sense be ruled; 
The Farmer may be cultured, though not 

schooled. 

VI. All soil comes from disintegrated rock. 
Mixed with organic substances. The stock 
Depends upon the kind of rock; the rate 
At which the surface waters infiltrate; 
Topography; since on steep slopes we see 
The soil when formed washed off into the 

sea. 
To form rich delta-lands, where men unborn 
Shall cultivate and raise their wheat and corn. 

In glacial times the surface of the earth was 

ground 
By moving fields of ice. The proofs are found 
In scorings on the surface rocks, moraines. 
Transported boulder stones, drumlins and 

kames. 
Changed course of streams, whose walls their 

waters still 
Are hewing into palisades, the till 
Dropped by the glacier in its slow retreat 
That covers all in a rude winding sheet. 

109 



Farm Philosophy 

Phenomena like these, and others quite 
As evident were seen in their true light 
By Agassiz; cind thus was writ his name 
In full, on the eternal scroll of fame. 
The terminal moraine of this ice cap 
Trends from Cape Cod to Del' ware water- 
gap; 
From thence into New York it makes a bow. 
Thence westerly along the Ohio; 
And then trending along the Missouri, 
It enters Canada northwesterly. 
All north of this moraine is glacial drift. 
But modified by power to sort and sift 
That water has. Under conditions such 
'Tis hard to work, but it contains as much 
Potential phosphates and potassium. 
As soils that from decay insitu come; 
And careful fining in the tillage will. 
With weathering, make this available: 
And as for nitrogen we little care 
Since we may take it freely from the air. 
By aid of the legumes; as, beans and peas. 
And clovers of all kinds, and locust trees. 

For wet and swampy ground, tiles are the 

thing. 
For weedy lands, try summer fallowing; 
In either case, you will, I'll wager gold. 
Increase, thereby, production several fold. 

When land is sour, or acid-poisoned, try 

An antidote, lime, or some alkali. 

If the subsoil is loose and also coarse, 

no 



Farm Philosophy 

There is set up no capillary force. 
Which draws the moisture up from down be- 
low. 
And here only deep-rooted plants may grow. 
Let subsoil be compact, and loose on top, 
Moisture evaporation then must stop. 

VII. Wheat is a grass. See Triticum vul- 

gare. 
That it is far from vulgar we declare. 
Since 'tis hermetically pollenized. 
And holds first rank 'mong nations civiHzed. 

It likes a cool, moist climate, such as near 
Great seas, with bright sunshine part of the 

year. 
Since winter wheat is an exacting crop. 
All fertilizers should be placed on top. 
And harrowed in. This serves the young 

plant's need. 
When older grown, its roots will deeper feed. 
It should be sown in time that growth of 

shoots 
May cover ground, and so protect the roots. 

Potato ground, if it is free from weeds. 
May next be sown to winter wheat, and needs 
No second plowing. Seed the ground to 

clover ; 
Mow twice — four crops for one-time turning 

over. 
The sequence will admit some variation; 
Cora may supplant potatoes, in rotation. 

Ill 



Farm Philosoph}f 

Successions should include legumes, which 

make 
The nitrogen that other crops muct take. 

Sow hardy seed, screen out one-third the 

batch. 
And "trap-strips'* set, the Hessian fly to 

catch. 
When Washington with vengeance in his eye. 
Turned on his track and made the Hessians 

fly- 

He could not know, he did not realize 

The harm in store from these same Hessian 

flies. 
The soil prepared for wheat is fit to grow. 
Most any kind of crop, as you may know. 

Potatoes we have found, like all the rest, 
Like level cultivation much the best. 
Prepare ground well, and furrow out the rows. 
And cover with the plow, and not with hoes. 
Before the vines appear above the furrow. 
Smooth down the ridges with a spike-tooth 

harrow ; 
Can place between the teeth a two-by-four, 
'Twill better do the work, and do much 

more ; 
This' 11 keep the ground loose, and destroy the 

weeds — 
Conditions such as the potato needs ; 
Then, cultivate the soil six or eight times, 
Until the ground is covered by the vines: 
Yes, Paris green the bugs, and for the blight, 

112 



Farm Philosophy 

Use "Bordeaux mixture," and thus win the 

fight. 
Come, try a little plot, just for a test. 
And see if you don*t like this way the best, 

VIII. TTie cereals with fruits first rank must 

share — 
TTie peach and apple, plums, grapes, cherries, 

pear — 
Oh, how much life would lose without our 

fruit! 
One of its greatest charms, beyond dispute. 
How quick our joys to disappointment turn. 
When at the core we find a filthy worm! 
This comes from negligence, or worse, from. 

sloth. 
For spraying will destroy the coddling moth., .' 

Our fruits have come to be all that they ard. 
By man*s selection and judicious care. 
The orchard drainage should be most com- 
plete. 
All fruit trees suffer much by cold, wet feet. 

Give pears clay soil; the peach likes sand the 

best; 
The apple, loam ; but here we would suggest 
That orchards are for fruits, and not for hay. 
And compromise between the two won't pay. 
Plow in the spring, and work close to the tree; 
Keep surface loose; this sets tlie plant-food 

free, 

113 



Farm Philosophy 

And moisture best conserves. Prune well; 

and spray. 
And fertilize with potash, if you may; 
Then, in the fall sow cover-crop to hold 
The nitrogen, and yield a rich plant-mold 
For next year's drain: and you will find 
That Nature is both generous and kind: 
And labor, wise, applied to soil and roots. 
Brings quality and yield of orchard-fruits. 

IX. Breed stock from purest strains; when 

all is said. 
Scrubs cost as much to raise as pure-bred ; 
Now worth, sale worth, is an important thing. 
Right here success or failure oft may swing; 
The quality of product, and amount. 
Are features to be sought, of most account. 
In feeding stock provide a "balanced ration"; 
The carbo-hydrates have a fixed relation 
To nitrogen, in food economy. 
Of six to one, which forms a guide, you see. 
Arrangement and condition of the stable 
Should be such as will make stock comfortable. 
Good food, pure air, and exercise possess, 
With cleanliness, the factors of success. 

The sheep ! Domestic scavenger ! It feeds. 
If pastured close, on shrubs and noxious weeds; 
And. thus may useful be for cleaning fields, 
114 



Farm PMlosophyf 

Say naught of wool and lambs, it meantime 

yields : 
But sheep as food supply, since they are small. 
Serve for the farmer's home the best of all. 

You must keep fowls, this is a settled case. 

But give wide range, and have a scratching 
place ; 

Then double-board the coop, leave space be- 
tween, 

For this will give it warmth; now, keep it 
clean 

To ward off lice; for you may bet your legs,. 

That vermin-covered hens will not lay eggs. 

X. There's nothing new, 'tis said, beneath 

sun, 
But things grow old, this much we know 

is done. 
The Harvester has laid the sickle by; 
It cuts and rakes the grain, and bundles ties; 
We plant, and cut, and husk, and shell the 

corn. 
By ways that were not known when I was' 

born. 
We plant potatoes, and we dig them, too. 
By devices that are to us quite new. 
We ride the mower, planter, rake and plow. 
And even spread manure by horse-power 

now. 
We use steam-power in many ways for 

horses, 

115 



Farm Philosophy 

And utilize the most of Nature's forces. 
We use the winds above the earth that blow, 
And draw the waters up that flow below, 
To irrigate the soil where sage-brush grows. 
And make earth smile and blossom as the 

rose. 
No industry in any age or nation 
Has made like progress in one generation. 

Keep wide awake, progressive, and well read. 

The "hay-seed,** and * 'clod-hopper" class, arc 
bled 

By lightning-rod, **green-goods,*' "gold- 
brick** humbugs: 

They patronize saloons; suck whiskey jugs 

And hitch lean horses in the streets. TTiese 
"bums** 

Disgrace the land. They are the country 
"slums** : 

But such must pass away; the law is writ; 

Who runs may read: "Survival of the fit." 

XI. The farmer must a statesman be, and 

broad ; 
Firm-set as rock against deceit and fraud; 
Opposed to schemes, official nests to feather. 
Not swerved, like weather-vane, by change of 

weather ; 
But like the needle always point the pole 
Of general good and welfare of the whole. 

All Syndicates and Trusts that fix the price 
Of raw materisJ, while yet they slice 

116 



Farm Philosophy^ 

Tlieir workmen's wages, and increase the cost 
Of life's necessities, do thus exhaust 
Producer and consumer in one block. 
That dividends be paid on watered stock: 
Then, with ineffable, consumxmate gaul 
Demand protection of a tariff wall. 
All such monopolies must be restrained. 
Or our Democracy has nothing gained. 
**Eternai vigilance," said Jefferson, 
"Is the price of liberty." Was freedom won 
By hero's blood; and titled lords *'turned 

down," 
That wealth might rule, and Trusts might 

wear the crown? 

"The fault is in ourselves, not in our stars. 

That we are underlings," Shakespeare de- 
clares. 

Let us assert ourselves, and, at the polls. 

Not clamor wrong, then go and vote hke 
fools. 

We are the Nation's bone, and brawn, and 
brains ; 

We raise its cotton, wool, meats, fruits and 
grains. 

The Farmer has the power and duty calls; 

Send honest men to Legislative Halls; 

Send men from shop and farm, men from our 
ranks. 

Not corporation tools, or sharps from banks. 

117 



Farm Philosophy^ 

Who make class laws, corrupt our courts, and 

prate 
How they alone are wise to legislate. 

The world has not evolved within our ken 
A place more fit than farm for making men. 
If nothing more, this much doth history show. 
That to the farm we've gone, and still must go, 
For men of worth, for men who fame hath 

won. 
From Cincinnatus down to Jefferson. 

Inaugurate an altruistic plan. 

And not, "keep what you get, get all you 

can"; 
"Each for himself, the devil take the least*' ; 
And, "he is best, who sits first at the feast**; 
But in "The Brotherhood of Man," take 

pride. 
Be "All for Each and Each for All,** your 

guide : 
If yet. The Golden Rule seems distant far, 
And Selfishness and Greed our actions mar. 
Still do the uttermost, and hopeful wait. 
The higher evolution of the State. 



isamm 



m 



A Question. 

There was a time when battle-ax 

And power to wield it gave 
The right to rule o'er fellow man 

And make him serf or slave; 
The battle-ax has past away. 

The Feudal serf's no more. 
The chattle-slave was freed from chauns 

By fratricidal gore; 
But now the power is power of brains. 

The means are wealth and wages. 
With these they reach the same result. 

As in the Feudal ages. 
Is the power to live off other's toil. 

More sacred or divine 
Reached by the methods of the rich. 

In vogue at the present time? 



119 



The Crime of Crimes. 

The crime of crimes is poverty. 

All else may be forgiven; 
'Tis the unpardonable sin. 

And bars the gate to heaven. 

Improvidence is — "waywardness," 
The dissolute but sow — "wild-oats**; 

Deceit and fraud's — "diplomacy," 

And traitors simply are — "turn-coats.'* 

Rich thieves may live in mansions fine. 
And walk the streets with pompous airs; 

May mingle in society. 

And eat and drink quite free from cares. 

But honest men since they are poor. 
Are outcast, spurned, and ostracized; 

Condemned to ceaseless drudgery. 
Pariahs, of the earth despised. 

Then moral virtue lightly hold. 
Break conscience to the haltar; 

Let honor go, and self respect. 
Lay all on Mammon's altar. 



120 



Ernst Haeckel. 

Here is a man! Of all the earth 

A peerless man, a man of worth! 

A knowledge vast by infinite pains 

He long acquired, and now explains 

With logic strong, and language terse 

*'The Riddle of the Universe." 

We read his works, "Morphology," 

"Wonders of Life," "Phylcgeny," 

"Evolution of Man" and "The Last Link." 

And from this spring of knowledge, drink. 

We measure him by all great men. 

Who stand apart from those we ken 

Like mountains vast upon the rim 

Of a horizon, lone and grim. 

The "Sage of Jena" must ever stand 

With the Darwin, Spencer, Huxley band. 



121 



A Flag With a Stain. 

■ When Kossuth was in Faneuil Hall he exclaimed, ' Here it a 
nation [Hungary] without a crime, a flag without a «tain.' '—"Wendell 
PhiUps. 

Upon a day. 

Into a bay. 
Of Luzon, sailed a fleet; 

And Dewey sunk 

The Spanish junk 
And captured old Cavite. 

Then Uncle Sam, 

With great salam. 
Dollars, a million score 

Paid conquered Spain, 

For a quit-claim. 
To what she heW no more. 

Spoke bravely then. 

Those Island Men, 
**We sought from Spain release; 

Till dead and cold, 
^ We'll not be sold. 
For 'two cart-wheels' apiece. 

**Your creeds declare. 

All just powers are. 
Acquired by free consent; 

Why then aspire. 

To base empire? — 
A step you will repent." 

122 



A Flag With a Stain 

Then softly spake. 

Hell roaring Jake 
"These Isles we will possess. 

Go, kill and char. 

And make Samaar, 
A howling wilderness. 

*'Into our hand, 

God gave this land. 
Their freedom we deny; 

Go, kill of them. 

All over ten, 
See*f that will pacify. 

"If they affect. 

To disrespect. 
Our friendship. Simon-pure; 

We'll show them then. 

How Christian men. 
Apply the * water-cure.* ** 

All this they did. 

And more, that's hid. 
By censor of the press; 

Though far away. 

Their wrongs some day. 
Will call for stern redress. 

O what a blot. 

Our flag has got. 
To fla'int in every breeze; 

A shameful stain. 

That will remain. 
While great ships plow the seas. 

123 



President, United Mine Workers 
of America. 

March, 1904. 

John Mitchell, "don't give up the ship,** 
All eyes are turned on you, — 

Last Champion of Labor's cause. 
Be firm, be brave, be true. 

Plutocracy is leagued to crushj 
With "malice a-forethought,** - 

The laborer beneath the wheels 
Of Mammon's Jugernaut. 

Intrigue and fraud they'll stoop to use. 
They'll use the army, too, — 

A million hearts beat fast and strong. 
And beat as one for you. 

(With tariff on commodities. 
And labor shipped in "free** 

'Tis easy to pile profits up. 
And wages scale, per se.) 

Democracy is now assailed. 

And Freedom is at stake. 
The poor man soon will fettered be. 

With chains he cannot break 
124 



Now I La^ Me DoUfn to Sleep 

Quite helpless is one man alone. 
In Union there is strength, — 

Long lime it took to learn this truth. 
But it is learned at length. 

O* Mitchell, '*don't give up the ship,' 
All eyes are turned on you. 

Last champion of Labor's cause. 
Be firm, be brave, be true. 



Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. 

Now while I lay me down to sleep, 
I pray thee. Lord, away do keep; 
If snoop around you must — By gee! 
Just mind your **biz*' and let me be. 



125 



Thanksgiving. 

We celebrate Thanksgiving, 
Each time it comes our way. 

But why, would stump a lawyer. 
Of Philadelphi-a. 

When hard times come we're thankful. 
Perchance, that they're no worse, 

And when our friends are buried. 
That we weren't in the hearse. 

But why we should be thankful 
When Presidents are shot. 

Is more or less conundrum. 
Or, maybe it is not. 

Who makes the proclamation 

Might feel a trifle gay. 
To think the God of Fortune 

Sees fit to clear the way. 

'Twould be more diplomatic 

To look a little sad. 
And call a day for mourning. 

Instead of making glad. 

Though Galveston is deluged. 
Or Johnstown swept away. 

We get the proclamation. 
And celebrate the day. 

126' 



Thanksgiving 

When Blue and Gray were fighting 

Supremacy to gain. 
And fathers, sons, and brothers, 

A million strong were slain. 

From Bull Run e'en to Shiloh 
We made the usual fuss 

To thank the God of Battles 
For favors shown to US. 

Professing to be thankful 

Spite of calamity. 
May fool the great Almighty, 

But cuts no ice with me. 

And being truly thankful 
For blessings that we get, 

That costs the other fellow. 
Is mean as dirt, you bet! 

Still, if we keep in fashion. 
Whatever comes our way. 

We'll act this farce of keeping 
Each year. Thanksgiving day. 



127' 



How Might the Rich Expend 
Their Wealth. 

How might the rich expend their wealth* 

And in it pleasure find; 
And longer life, and better health. 

And benefit mankind? 
To make a name, not for a day. 

But for succeeding time. 
To last forever, and for aye, 

A monument sublime? 

Instead of seeking to augment, 

Their fortunes all too great. 
By lowering wages, raising rent. 

Thus meriting just hate. 
They might provide a sinking fund. 

To lobby Legislatures, 
To counteract this "tendency" 

Of wealth, to grow, **that*9 Na 
ture's." (?) 

Instead of watering of stocks. 

And dodging income taxes. 
And influencing laws and courts. 

To grind financial axes. 
They might provide a sinking fund. 

When stringency portends. 
To keep their laborer's wages up. 

As they do stock dividends. 

Instead of forming Syndicates, 
And Billion-Dollar Trusts, 

128 



Hor» Might the Rich Expend Their Wealth 

To monopolize production and 

Tread Labor in the dust, 
Like J. P. Morgan's "Steal Combine" 

And Rocky's "Standard Oil" 
That as they scoop their dividends 

Add just so much to toil; 

They might combine to mitigate 

The suffering of man. 
To aid the fallen and the weak, 

Like the Good Samaritan; 
Might irrigate our desert lands. 

Nor charge a profit-toll. 
Might make this earth a paradise 

For ages to unroll. 

Carnegie's libraries are good. 

Could he suppress his greed. 
Just long enough to give his men 

A little time to read; 
And Rocky's University, 

Would benefit our youths, '" 

Could he leave Professors free to teack 

Some economic truths. 

Instead of trusting human greed 

To use great wealth per. se. 
To benefit the human race 

Instead of selfishly. 
It would be wiser to provide 

Just laws at once to foil 
This ''tendency to centralize** (?) 

Surplus of human toil. 

129 



Politikopsis. 

You work for a living. 

Not speculate corners 
You think you'll be getting 

Both riches and honors? 

No, no, Mr. Simple 

You keep on a slaving. 
Just smooth out your dimple. 

You'll ne'er get a shaving. 

The seekers for office 

The v^ires are now pulling: 
They're backing like craw-fish. 

Or else they're log-rolling. 

If you are no wharf -rat. 
Nor worship god-Mamm.on, 

They'll blow your head off at 
The mouth of a cannon. 

They'll purchase elections. 
And 'point supreme judges. 

Who'll learn the direction 

The appointing power nudges. 

With subsidized Trusts and. 
With legalized stealing. 

Trade Unions they'll *'bust" and. 
Will keep Labor kneeling. 
130 



Poliiikopsis 

Subduing a nation. 

Submission extorting, 
*S **benev'lent *similation/* 

The purpose, exploiting. 

"Constitution eratic,** 

DecF ration *'back number** 
**We're drawn by fanatics** 

"Republic to thunder?** 

The seeker for office. 

Possessors of riches. 
Promoters and saw-fish. 

Are all sons-of-(w) itches. 

But why should we clamor? 

We make to begin with 
The forge, then the hammer 

They break our heads in with. 

Than whirl your bandanas 

And kick up a revel; 
And shout for the H annas. 
And *rah for the devil. 



* 



151 



Post Mortem. 

When life is fled 

And I am dead. 
And time's no more for me, 

I want no priest, 

(Grant this at least) 
With mock solemnity 

To stand about 

My bier and shout 
His senseless mummery. 

Let some one read 
My simple creed : — 

"Do as you'd be done by. 
Prove all, you should 
Hold fast the good. 

And set your standard high; 
Your reason use. 
Nor it abuse. 

Truth's better than a lie." 

Where I shall rest 

I've no request, 
I want no monument 

Save memory. 

My children three. 
And thoughts to paper lent: 

Should earth by me 

Slight better be. 
I'll rest me quite content. 

132 



Evangel of Socialism. 

Evangel of the Social Stale, 
Upright, as rears the tree, — 

Give heed unto his every w^ord. 
Each one is meant for thee, — 

No taint is on his open soul. 
Earth's noblest of the free ! 

Voice of oppressed humanity. 

It calleth me and you. — 
Oome let us rally to that call. 

The crimson keep in view, — 
Oh, strike for freedom, one and aO, 

Rise, take, it is your due 1 

Dare with your peerless leader stand. 

Expel the grafting crew. 
Bring in the Social Commonwealth. 

Stand firm, *tis just, *tis true I 



133 



Fairest Little City. 

At the head of fair Cayuga, 

Nestling in among the hills; 
Backed by orchards, fields and meadows. 

Washed by splashing streams and rills ;- 

Picturesque by nature fashioned. 

Beautified by human skill; 
At her feet Cayuga sparkling. 

Crowned by Cornell on the Hill; — 

First in beauty, first in culture. 
Let the slogan forth be hurled : 

Ithaca's the Fairest Little 
City of the Western World. 



134 



The Peace Congress or The White 
Man's Burden. 

In the reign of Queen Victor' a. 
In the reign of Emp'ror William, 
In the reign of Marcus Hanna, 
Met the nations in Peace Congress; 

Met the civ'lized and half-civ'lized 
Nations of the earth, and elsewhere. 
Met in friendly consultation. 
Met in a so-called Peace Congress. 
At The Hague, in little Holland, 
In the country of the sea-dike. 
In the country of the windmill. 
Met to set up arbitration; 
To forever banish warfare. 
To forever banish bloodshed. 
And establish peace eternal. 

But the peaceful Boers of Transvaal, 
And the peaceful Filipinos, 
And the peaceful heathen Chinese, 
Came not to the so-called Congress. 

Then Victor'a, Queen of England, 
Sent to India, and Australia, 
And to all her far dominions. 
Reused two-hundred thousand soldiers, 
Sent them forthwith to the Transvaal. 

135 



The Peace Congresi 

Drove the Boers into the mountains. 
Burnt their homes and stole their cattle. 
Gave them dumdums, gave them liddite. 
Slaughtered them wher*er they found them. 

Not for their rich territory. 
Not for mines of gold and diamonds. 
Not because the earth they wanted. 
But because the white man's burden 
Rested heavy on their shoulders. 
Rested there, and galled severely; 
And because the Boers of Transvaal 
Did not come to the Peace Congress. 

Now, the Boers fought desperately. 
Fought for every inch of country. 
Fought the legions of the Empress, 
Fought 'gainst odds and often whipped them; 
Whipped their Gattaker and Buller, 
Drove them back in great disorder. 
Standards gone and columns shattered. 
For three years they fought them bravely 
Trusting in their God's existence. 
Trusting still in his protection. 

But of course there is no such God, 

This the English by experience, 

Know to be rank superstition ; 

Else he'd sink their ships mid-ocean. 

Else he'd strike them with stark blindness. 

Else he'd visit them with pest'lence. 

But the English while they worship 

The same God as do the Boers, 

Put their trust in dumdum bullets, 

J36 



The Peace Congress 

Put their trust in shells of liddlte. 
Put their trust in mighty armies. 

Uncle Sam, who felt the burden 
Of the white man on his shoulders. 
Felt it galling most severely, 
Sent his armies down to Cuba. 
Not for honor, not for glory. 
Not for gain of territory 
Sent he armies down to Cuba, 
But to free the struggling Cubans, 
Free them from oppressive taxes. 
Free them from the cruel Spaniard, 
Give them longed-for Independence. 

Soon the Spanish fleets were shattered. 
First by Dewey at Manilla, 
Then by Schley at Santiago, 
Next Havana, too, surrendered. 
And the Spaniard home went sailing. 

But the Cubans next were asking 
Uncle Samuel, not the Spaniard, 
For the freedom that they fought for. 
For the freedom that was promised. 
And our Uncle kept his promise. 
But he also kept a foothold 
On the islands of our neghbor — - 
This he*ll never more relinquish. 

Now, when Dewey smashed Montojs 
Ir the harbor of Manilla, 
Uncle Samuel raised an army, 
Sent it flying 'cross the ocean. 

137 



The Peace Congress 

Sent it to the Filipinos, 
Sent it with a friendly greeting; 
Gave them arms and ammunition. 
Helped them to drive out the Spaniard. 

Then our Uncle bought the Islands, 
Gave the sum of twenty millions. 
Gave it to the conquered Spaniard, 
Who no longer held a title. 
But the wicked Filipinos 
Would not ratify the bargain ; 
What they fought for was their freedom. 
Not a formal change of masters. 

So our Uncle raised more soldiers. 
Sent them flying 'cross the ocean. 
Sent them to the land of sun-rise; 
Armed them with the Mauser rifle. 
With the Maxim, with machine guns. 
Furnished them with smokeless powder; 
Drove the natives to the mountains, 
Scattered them like leaves in Autumn; 
Called them traitors, called them rebels. 
Put a price upon the head of 
Aguinaldo, their brave leader. 

And the people of these Islands, 
Kept on flying, kept on fighting; 
Flying from the deadly Maxim, 
Fighting with a desp'rate valor; 
Fighting for their homes and firesides. 
Fighting for their longed-for freedom. 
Now, our Uncle did not want them. 
Did not want these fertile Islands, 

138 



The Peace Congress 

Did not care for increased commerce. 
Bui when Dewey got a foothold 
In the harbor of Manilla, 
Uncle Samuel could not leave them. 
Would not leave them to the greed of 
All the nations 'round about them. 

This determination brought him 

To a strange, absurd, position; 

For our Declaration clearly 

Says that governments derive their 

Just powers from consent of governed; 

And our famous Monroe Doctrine 

Forbids foreign tangleations ; 

But, of course, our Uncle is not 

Splitting hairs much o*er such trifles 

When he feels the white man's burden 

Resting heavy on his shoulders, 

When it galls him so severely; 

And besides these Filipinos 

Came not to the Holland Congress. 

Now, the nations, all together, 
England, Russia, France and Prussia. 
And our Uncle with all other 
Highly civ'lized western nations, 
S^t their eyes upon the Chinese, 
Set their eyes upon the slant-eyed 
Nations lying towards the sun-rise; 
Saw four hundred million people 
Caring naught for Western manners. 
Caring naught for Christian dogmas; 
But revering their Confucius, 

139 



The Peace Congress 

And his moral precepts, taught them: 
Do not as you'd not be done by" 
Is the language of this heathen. 
Is the precept that he taught them. 

So they sent their missionaries. 
Sent them Cath'lics, sent them Protestants, 
Meth'dists, Baptists, Luth'rans, Mormons, 
All the pious sects and factions; 
Sent them there to teach the heathen 
Christian doctrines. Christian dogmas: 
Teach them how the earth was builded. 
Teach them how God made the woman. 
Tell them 'bout the Eden garden. 
Tell them how Eve ate the apple. 
And per cons'quence sin descended. 

Tell them 'bout God's chosen people. 
How he led them through the Red Sea, 
How he led them in the desert. 
Fed them on the heavely manna. 
How their breeches did not wear out, 
For the forty years they staid there; 
How they made a box of **shittim" 
For their God "I am" to dwell in. 
Which, from place to place they carried^ 
As they wandered in the desert; 
Tell them Jonah's whaling voyage, 
And St. Johnnie's dream on Patmos; 
Tell them 'bout the Virgin's baby. 
How he lived, and grew, and prospered. 
How he bod'ly went to heaven 
In a cloud, as did Elijah 

MO 



The Peace Congress 

In a fiery, flaming carriage; 

Give them bits of Christian history. 

Tell them of the Inquisition, 

Of the rack, and of the thumb-screw. 

Of its many million victims: 

Tell them of the dread ordeal; — 

Walking over red-hot plow shores. 

Thrusting arms in molten metals: 

Tell them of the Witch delusion. 

With its many thousand victims; 

Mention such names as Servetus, 

John Huss, Bruno, Galileo: 

Tell them of the modern progress. 

Of the so-called slums in cities. 

Of the tenderloin districts; 

How we Christians burn the negroes 

Down in Georgia, Texas, Kansas: 

Teach them all our Christian virtues: 

How much better 'tis to worship 

God as Jesus, than Confucius, 

And much more than this to teach them. 

But those heathen poor Celestials 
Did not want these missionaries. 
Though this may seem strange as fiction. 
These Confucian, heathen, Chinese 
Would not have these missionaries. 

Tlien the nations, each raised armies. 
Called their armies allied forces. 
Furnished them with Mauser rifles. 
Furnished them with deadly Maxims, 
Furnished them with smokeless powder, 

141 



The Peace Congress 

Sent them flying 'cross the ocean; 
"Take no captives, give no quarter.'* 
Were the orders to the soldiers. 

Then these "Gog and Magog" legions. 
In the plain of "Armageddon" 
Fell on these slant-eyed Celestials: 
Slaughtered them by tens-of-thouszmds ; 
Raised the walls of ancient Tien Tsia, 
Sacked and plundered the great city. 

TTien they marched to ancient Pekin, 
Took possession of the city — 
And the allies then demanded 
Mighty payments for the trouble. 
For the trouble they were put to 
In the sacking of old Tien Tsin. 
For the fate that befell Poland, 
Threatens now this ancient Empire; 
And the wedge that has been entered. 
Will be driven, will be driven. 
Till the Empire is dismembered 
And among the Powers partitioned. 

Oh ! of course, they do not want it. 
Do not want their fertile valleys. 
Do not want their min'ral treasures. 
Do not want to make large profit 
By exploiting the Celestials: 
But they feel the white man's burdea 
Resting heavy on their shoulders, 
And it galls them most severely: 
And, besides, the wan Celestial 
Did not come to the Peace Consress. 

142 



Why I am an Atheist. 

I am an Atheist because I'm built on such a 

plan, 
I can't believe absurdities, or make believe I 

can; 
For an eternal Universe is easier in thought 
Than one made by a self-made God and 

both made out of naught. 
I can't accept theology that's founded on a 

devil 
That was created by a God who does things 

on a level. 

I can't believe one God is three, or that three 

Gods are one. 
That one lived all eternity and then begot a 

son, 
I can't believe pure virgins have babies by 

ghosts begot. 
It ought to be a crime to preach such silly 

tommyrot. 
I am an Atheist because I've never seen a 

God. 
Or heard, or smelt, or tasted one, or seen 

where one has trod. 

Phenomena's no proof of God, nor flowers, 

nor birds, nor grain; 
No mind can act or thought can spring apart 

from nerve and brain. 

143 



Wh^ I Am an Atheist 

Eternal energy exists, effect must follow 
cause. 

But no eternal, brainless God's revealed in 
Nature's laws. 

I am an Atheist because I'm not a hypocrite. 

Am not looking for influence or trade a ''lit- 
tle bit." 

I'd rather be my honest self and free to think 

and speak. 
Than be a President and know I was a moral 

sneak. 
I can't believe "Atoning blood," that schen* 

vicarious. 
Will "cut much ice" on that "great day" 

and I don't care a "cuss," 
Who'd wash his vileness in the blood of am 

"Atoning Lamb," 
Will steal the jewels from the crown ©f 

every saint he can. 

I am an Atheist because I read within tht 

word. 
That Christ came not sweet peace to bring, 

but to set up a sword; 
Because theology has brought to suffering 

mankind 
More persecution, wars and strife than aH 

things else combined. 
144 



Wh I Am an Atheist 

I am an Atheist because I can't make it ap- 
pear, 

That Gods would *'mock calamity'* or 
*'laugh" at honest fear. 

I can't conceive a God so base as to connive 

or wink 
At witchcraft, slaves, polygamy, which make 

the Bible stink. 
I can't conceive a "God of Wrath," a "God 

of vengeance" dire. 
Who sits and sniffs the incense sweet of 

damned souls in hell fire. 

-(Rev. XIV.. 9-11 

I can't believe this hell idea — I can't a little 
jot, 

A lake of fire and brimstone'd be for Esqui- 
maux too hot. 

I am an Atheist because I like the precept 
true — 

"Do unto others as you'd have all others do 
to you." 

I try my best to live up to this Heathen- 
Christian rule, 

I seek the reason in all things and don't care 
who "keeps school." 

I am an Atheist because I say with "brazen 
face," 

I do believe that character is more than 
"saving grace." 

145 



Wh^ I Am an Atheist 

"Morality will damn your soul?*' All right, 

just let it rain, 
ril take my chance with Socrates, with Bruno 

and Tom Paine. 
I am an Atheist because I'd have my heaven 

here. 
And for "skyscrapers'* never wait **to read 

my title clear." 
But why I am an Atheist I can't begin to tell. 
The world could not contain the books, nor 

heaven, nor even hell. 




146 



iWAR £ 1305 



